That certain "snobby " feeling

[Aisling]

I don't know - this is just a theory - but certain people gravitate towards certain kinds of hotels/resorts because they fit their personalities better, know what I mean?

This may be true. I have stayed at the Beach Club and at the All Stars, I and even though we're staying deluxe again this trip, I loved the All Stars atmosphere.
The BC, which is a lovely resort, didn't suit my personality, I learned. I guess I'm more of a free-spirited, care-free, grown-woman-wearing-a-Cinderella-tiara kind of gal, and I have to say I got looks like I was nuts while at the BC. But at All Stars, 100% of the comments I got from people were things like, "love your tiara, Cinderella!" and "where can I get one of those?"

My husband is an orthopedic surgeon, constantly busy, so when we go to Disney, we just want it to be easy-going and stress-free. I hope we don't make the lifeguard blow his whistle at us!

 

[ChesireMeg]

Hello! I think you will like the AKL--that hotel has TONS of kids--very family orientated. It seems that everyone there is out to have a good time and enjoy their vacation. It is a very relaxing resort--lots of things to see and experience

 

[NADINENURSE]

Sad, but funny. I did preface my question with a worried comment that I would get pounced on, and guess what, I DID !! McCall this comment, "perhaps it is what behaviors and attitudes your children are most used to" is not only rude but a straight foward insult. Interesting comment too about McDonalds. Would you care to learn that my children were not even in the pool, nor "running wild", but sitting in the lobby viewing the pool area as we were checking which lead them to this comment ? And , once again, it seems you were the only poster with a direct comment about "my children". the posting which was a question about a resort, your comment above regarding what my children are to"used to" , provides insight into your BEHAVIOR, ATTITUDES AND BELIEFS. Perhaps it is not WL my children felt this "auora" at, where you there in Sept. of 2003, your writting seems to fit the profile.

Regarding the life guards, I believe that saving the whistle blowing for an emergent event , rather than frequently, would call more attention to it when blown.

However, thank you to the other posters who were able to give me insight, rather than negative commentary.

 

[drdelsol]

Nadinenurse,
We have stayed at most of the resorts and I can see what you mean. I have encountered more of the "we are better then you" attitude at the deluxe hotels from other guests. Not to say haven't seen it at the mods or value. I wouldn't worry about the AKL, it is so cool and there is so much to look at you can ignore the people that bother you.

I have never figured out how someone staying at the same place as you or doing the same thing as you is better on a different level.

Have a good trip

 

[sm4987]

I really do understand what you mean. There really is a difference in how some people act when at a deluxe resort/than a mod or an all-star. I got that feeling to at WL. It was tht superior feeling and that not everyone can afford to be here thing.

I didn't get that feeling at AKL or at the Contmporary. I'm not sure, but people sure are protective of the Wl

 

[McCall]

Originally posted by NADINENURSE
Sad, but funny. I did preface my question with a worried comment that I would get pounced on, and guess what, I DID !! McCall this comment, "perhaps it is what behaviors and attitudes your children are most used to" is not only rude but a straight foward insult. Interesting comment too about McDonalds. Would you care to learn that my children were not even in the pool, nor "running wild", but sitting in the lobby viewing the pool area as we were checking which lead them to this comment ? And , once again, it seems you were the only poster with a direct comment about "my children". the posting which was a question about a resort, your comment above regarding what my children are to"used to" , provides insight into your BEHAVIOR, ATTITUDES AND BELIEFS. Perhaps it is not WL my children felt this "auora" at, where you there in Sept. of 2003, your writting seems to fit the profile.

Regarding the life guards, I believe that saving the whistle blowing for an emergent event , rather than frequently, would call more attention to it when blown.

However, thank you to the other posters who were able to give me insight, rather than negative commentary.

You totally misread my post but I will no go back and try to explain it too you as that would appear insulting to you too I am sure. but I did not mean it as you read it.
Anyway I am sorry if I offended you that was not my intention.

 

[DisneyMin]

Can you even see the WL pool from the lobby? i didn't think you could see the pool,,much less hear whistles from the lifeguards. That being said,,,We've stayed at WL twice,and eat at WCC every time we go there. I've not detected and snobbery there. The atmosphere is different than Value resorts,i will agree with you there. But i don't think its "snobby". We just stayed at POP and really liked it. It didn't seem "low class" or anything. But the atmosphere at WL is different. I think many folks are under the perception that people with lots of $ stay at "this" resort,,and people who have hardly any $ stay at Values. I don't think this is always true. Its your opinion and choice to like/dislike whatever resort you choose. I don't care for AKL. I'm about the only person who seems to feel that way. And thats ok. I like POR,,i don't care much for POFQ. Thats why they make different themed resorts.Our 2nd stay at WL was Labor day wknd '03. I noticed the lifeguards having organized games w/the kids in the pool in the afternoon. The only time i saw whistles was when kids were going down the slide too close together,,or standing right at the base of the slide,,both of which are dangerous. If you like all stars,,then by all means stay there!! When we go to just enjoy the resort,,we stay at WL. or OKW. if we go to do parks,,we stay at POP. WHen we go this Memorial day,,we're staying at POR. You ask for an opinion,,don't get offended when people give you theirs. (don't ask,,don't tell....)

 

[Harambe]

You'll love AKL - very friendly place, but lifeguards do blow the whistle if kids are pushing on the slide or running wild.

But I think I'll agree with Tiggersmom2 - go and be happy! Don't let others impact how you feel! Have fun!

 

[mclori]

It might have something to do with the timeframe in which you were at WL (or WDW, for that matter). You said you were there in September. I was also at WDW in September, albeit at the Poly, but I noticed very few children throughout the whole WDW property until the weekend days. The majority of children I did see were preschoolers and toddlers. The "snobbery" on the part of the CMs may be that they are in "extra care" mode, keeping a sharper eye out for the protection of the littler ones. As far as the guests go, anything can be a reason, but most likely they were preoccupied with other thoughts. I'm sure you'll have a lovely time at AKL, it does have a very amiable atmosphere.

 

[litlpixie]

OK, after reading everyone's posts, here's MHO, whatever it's worth. Last year, at POR, at the main pool, That lifeguard was blowin' that whistle and bellowing (politely) at the children who were sliding down the slide too close together all afternoon....she drove us nuts. But hey, that's her job, so it was cool. As for the Pretention issue at the deluxes....we experienced it at the WL last year as well. but you know, there were also some people in the parks who were jerks too, and who knows where they were staying, The GF perhaps or maybe the Motel 6 down the road (not to offend any Motel 6 lovers out there ) It really doesnt bother us, to look at us, you'd think we fell off the turnip truck, and yes, we ARE on a strict budget for most of the year except for Birthdays, Xmas and when we visit WDW. And, yes, here we come AKL Concierge and if we have to spend our vacation with Mr. & Mrs. Hoyty-Toyty, and The Snotheads, bring' em on, I Love Rich People!! And we hope someday to be adopted by some. I hope I didnt offend anyone on this board, for I love you all!!

 

[skiwee1]

Originally posted by DisneyMin
Can you even see the WL pool from the lobby? i didn't think you could see the pool,,much less hear whistles from the lifeguards. That being said,,,We've stayed at WL twice,and eat at WCC every time we go there. I've not detected and snobbery there. The atmosphere is different than Value resorts,i will agree with you there. But i don't think its "snobby". We just stayed at POP and really liked it. It didn't seem "low class" or anything. But the atmosphere at WL is different. I think many folks are under the perception that people with lots of $ stay at "this" resort,,and people who have hardly any $ stay at Values. I don't think this is always true. Its your opinion and choice to like/dislike whatever resort you choose. I don't care for AKL. I'm about the only person who seems to feel that way. And thats ok. I like POR,,i don't care much for POFQ. Thats why they make different themed resorts.Our 2nd stay at WL was Labor day wknd '03. I noticed the lifeguards having organized games w/the kids in the pool in the afternoon. The only time i saw whistles was when kids were going down the slide too close together,,or standing right at the base of the slide,,both of which are dangerous. If you like all stars,,then by all means stay there!! When we go to just enjoy the resort,,we stay at WL. or OKW. if we go to do parks,,we stay at POP. WHen we go this Memorial day,,we're staying at POR. You ask for an opinion,,don't get offended when people give you theirs. (don't ask,,don't tell....)

No you cannot see the pool from the WL lobby. I know you cannot hear the whistles either because the river running inside the lobby is VERY loud and right near the end of the lobby that the pool is down from.

 

[TeresaNJ]

I understand what you mean when you say you get a different feeling about different resorts, but honestly, I've stayed at WL and VWL many times and have never felt uncomfortable there. Now when we stayed at the GF when my kids were 7, 12 and 13 I did feel the resort was too classy and upscale looking for my kids to feel relaxed. I was always worried that they would disturb the very sophisticated (for lack of a better word) people that were staying there. My kids were very well behaved, but I just wasn't comfortable. I'm really not sure why. On the other hand, I've never felt that way at any of the other resorts we've stayed at, including AKL. Also, while I've stayed at the BC and BCV, and always felt like I was in paradise there, after walking through the Yacht Club, I thought I'd never want to stay there because it had a "stuffy" feeling to me, again that "high class" feeling. Not to say that I don't think highly of myself, I just like a more laid back atmosphere. I just want to say that if your kids were uncomfortable at WL, then I think they may feel the same at AKL, as another poster said, they are very similar in "feel". Maybe when the kids are older you can try WL again. Good luck in whatever you choose.

 

[Sammie]

Ok I am going to try and address only your question, How will we feel at AKL?

Ok this question asks for people's opinions. Since we don't know you at all, really hard to answer actually. So based on your comments about WL. I have never personally experienced any snobby feelings at any Disney resort or elsewhere when we travel so in some ways this is hard for me to understand.

I think you will feel what "you" personally feel. I think some others were trying to get that point across and it was misunderstood as being insulting or rude. Truely for whatever reasons you or your children felt uncomfortable at WL, you could just as easily feel uncomfortable at AKL. This is not to say that there is anything wrong with that, it's just something many of us have never experience and never will.

As to the lifeguards, you can't wait until a situation becomes an emergency to get control of your pool and this comes from personal experience. It's kinda like directing traffic, you can't wait till someone has a wreck to blow your whistle.

 

[Sammie]

Originally posted by drdelsol
Nadinenurse,
We have stayed at most of the resorts and I can see what you mean. I have encountered more of the "we are better then you" attitude at the deluxe hotels from other guests. Not to say haven't seen it at the mods or value. I wouldn't worry about the AKL, it is so cool and there is so much to look at you can ignore the people that bother you.

I have never figured out how someone staying at the same place as you or doing the same thing as you is better on a different level.

Have a good trip

Ok, I am truly curious.

How is this "better than you are attitude" even known, unless you are having one on one conversations with these people.

I guess I am truely confused about these comments. I can't imagine just casually coming in contact with others at a resort, and them being able to make me feel this way.

I guess my question is what do they do, that makes you feel this way?

 

[Disney Debbie]

Do you think your children were intimidated by the "look" of WL from the very beginning? Do you go to that kind of a hotel in other places? Do you feel that maybe you were a little intimidated by it and projected that to your kids? I'm not trying to insult you - just offering theories! My DH is very inimidated in places he's unfamiliar with and the nicer the place the worse he is!! He's gotten better over the years as we've found some great deals on some nice places and he's getting used to that type of place! I chaperoned an FBLA trip last year and it was the first time out of the COUNTY for many of these kids. We stayed at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Atlanta and they were VERY intimidated by the huge atrium lobby and the nice restaurants. Even though they had food vouchers for the restaurants most of them ate at the food court in the office building connected to the hotel. When people feel "out of place" or intimidated they sometimes project that on other people and think they are snobby or rude to them - even if they are just different or completely ignoring them!

So now that I've done my .05 cent analysis!! - If that is a possibility then they may feel the same about the AKL. I haven't stayed at either resort - but I've visited both of them and AKL also has a gorgeous big atrium lobby. Show them pictures, talk to them and let them help decide. Go where you think you'll all have a good time. If you switch back to a value or moderate, maybe you should go over to AKL for dinner at Boma and walk around and get a feel for the place. Then maybe they'll feel better about trying it on the NEXT trip!

 

[freediverdude]

I guess I'll add my two cents. I've stayed at a lot of the resorts, and know what the OP means about some feeling more "snobbish" if you want to use that term, than others. I guess it just depends on what you feel comfortable with. Some people like that snobby type atmosphere, and some people hate it, and it often doesn't have all that much to do with how much money the person really has. I'm sure many millionaires stay at the All-Stars and many people who are just barely making credit card payments book the GF, as well as the reverse. And, not all of the deluxes have that snobby feeling, but not all of the moderates are free of it either. Just from my experience, the ones that tend to have the snobby feeling are the GF, Yacht Club, WL, AKL, and surprisingly CSR. The ones that tend to be much more comfortable, at least to me, are the CR, Poly, Beach Club, OKW, CBR, and POR. The ones that seem "in the middle" or borderline, are the BWI and POFQ. So, I guess there's choices for every type of person. I do like going and looking around at the more "snobby" ones once in a while, maybe eating a meal there or something, just to see them, but I avoid staying overnight at the ones where I don't feel comfortable. This is a great way to see all the resorts, but still mostly stay at the places you like the most! If you go a lot, I bet you'll eventually find several resorts that you seem to like better than the others. I seem to gravitate toward the Contemporary, All-Star Sports, OKW, and now the new Pop Century. If this is your first time or don't go very often, I would go with your gut feeling of where you think you would have the best time- look deep down inside yourself and you'll know.

 

[NADINENURSE]

Okay here goes, remember in Pretty Woman, when Julia Roberts goes into the upper class clothing store, is looked up and down by woman with their arms folded stating "we can't help you here, you obiviously don't belong here", that kind of feeling. No-one ever said anything to us, yes we had the matching luggage, tipped the staff appropriately, even made cute little evelopes for them. Kids were well behaved, they always are in Disney, they save the arguments and grief for home , but , as I said, even at check in when they were looking at the pool, walking around the lobby, etc. they finally sat on the couches and waited,then came out with that weird comment about feeling uncomfortable.

Yes, there were not alot of kids when we went 9/2003, and they were happier at Allstar, more kids, but more noise. But, we go for the kids and their maximum enjoyment. which is what prompted this heated debate in the first place. I have gathered that AKL will be great, kids and I will love it, and I plan to wake up dailey at 2 -3 am to go out on the balcony to catch that up close glimpse of a visiting friend under the moon light

 

[Sammie]

Originally posted by NADINENURSE
Okay here goes, remember in Pretty Woman, when Julia Roberts goes into the upper class clothing store, is looked up and down by woman with their arms folded stating "we can't help you here, you obiviously don't belong here", that kind of feeling. No-one ever said anything to us, yes we had the matching luggage, tipped the staff appropriately, even made cute little evelopes for them. Kids were well behaved, they always are in Disney, they save the arguments and grief for home , but , as I said, even at check in when they were looking at the pool, walking around the lobby, etc. they finally sat on the couches and waited,then came out with that weird comment about feeling uncomfortable.

Yes, there were not alot of kids when we went 9/2003, and they were happier at Allstar, more kids, but more noise. But, we go for the kids and their maximum enjoyment. which is what prompted this heated debate in the first place. I have gathered that AKL will be great, kids and I will love it, and I plan to wake up dailey at 2 -3 am to go out on the balcony to catch that up close glimpse of a visiting friend under the moon light

Ok, if someone actually said, You obviously don't belong here, as they did in the movie, then yes they were being snobby.

However if it was just a percieved feeling then I guess that is where I don't understand.

I am not wealthy, but being around people with wealth does not bother me in the least.

With the right attitude you can stay anywhere and have a great time.

Maybe to kids All Star felt like a huge playground and WL felt like a museum. I would say that is atmosphere, but not being snobby.

If that is the case I would think AKL in the lobby will feel the same but they will probably love the animals.

 

[Aisling]

I really do understand what you mean. There really is a difference in how some people act when at a deluxe resort/than a mod or an all-star.
I didn't get that feeling at AKL or at the Contmporary.

I'm happy to hear this, since these are the two resorts at which we're staying this trip!

 

[GEM]

I guess I just don't understand how a resort can be "snobby" when there is a restaurant in the lobby that has yodeling contests and stick horse races . . .