The Cost of Convenience

[jtowntoflorida]

We stayed at BLT last October, and honestly...totally spoiled us. We also spend most of our time at MK (also 3 days of a 6 day vacation) and the access to MK cannot be beat. Feel like popping over there just to see what's going on? DONE! And it's totally up to YOU when you get there. No waiting on a bus or other mode of transportation. And the kids loved sitting in the counter service restaurant there and watching the monorails come and go. I would totally look into renting points. That's how we stayed there, and for what we were charged, it was actually less expensive than staying in a moderate.

The only problem is that access to the MK does spoil you. The DVC owner we rent from couldn't book BLT until the 7 month window opened, and while it wasn't an issue last year, we got waitlisted this year. I check my email every day hoping that waitlist comes through...

 

[Minnesota!]

To me, all resorts are convenient. A quick bus, monorail, or boat away. A cranky kid is a cranky kid no matter the mode of transport. And have you seen those lines for the monorails at times? Sometimes the busses are quicker! (I know you can walk back to Contemporary, which we have done...but after a 17 hour day, my kids will whine more about walking then standing in line..).

I don't think deluxes are worth it if you are doing it for proximity and transportation. The theme of some are wonderful. A little extra space - nice. Better food options, sure. Better pools and (at deluxes) a patio or balcony - sweet!

However, I don't miss those things when I am at a value. We eat at the parks, the bussing is great, we do have enough space, and we still can swim and have fun w/o slides. So, to me, the extra $$$$ isn't well spent...especially when you are at the parks all day.

We do LOVE AKL but have determined that we will only pay for mods/deluxes in the future if we are doing a no-park part of the trip.

If I were you, I would save the money, stay at AoA (kids LOVE it!), and take some of the cash you saved and have your kids go to a kids club for a night while you and your wife go have a nice dinner!

 

[ptlohmysoul]

I don't understand how 2 adults can fit into a double size bed comfortably enough to get a good nights sleep. We would stay off-site before staying in a value due to the bed sizes. Now that we stayed on-site and loved it, guess we're stuck going to the deluxe villas with king-size beds and kitchens, just like home. I'm hoping our next trip we'll stay at BLT.

IMO, splurging on vacation is ok as long as your finances are in order and you're not in debt, nor creating debt by going on vacation. If you are good with credit cards (paying them off monthly), try getting a Disney Visa card to earn free $ for spending on your room/tickets/food or anything at the parks. When we went we had $500 on our Disney Reward card that we used for food (we didn't get the disney dining plan).

 

[buzznina]

To me, all resorts are convenient. A quick bus, monorail, or boat away. A cranky kid is a cranky kid no matter the mode of transport. And have you seen those lines for the monorails at times? Sometimes the busses are quicker! (I know you can walk back to Contemporary, which we have done...but after a 17 hour day, my kids will whine more about walking then standing in line..).

I don't think deluxes are worth it if you are doing it for proximity and transportation. The theme of some are wonderful. A little extra space - nice. Better food options, sure. Better pools and (at deluxes) a patio or balcony - sweet!

However, I don't miss those things when I am at a value. We eat at the parks, the bussing is great, we do have enough space, and we still can swim and have fun w/o slides. So, to me, the extra $$$$ isn't well spent...especially when you are at the parks all day.

We do LOVE AKL but have determined that we will only pay for mods/deluxes in the future if we are doing a no-park part of the trip.

If I were you, I would save the money, stay at AoA (kids LOVE it!), and take some of the cash you saved and have your kids go to a kids club for a night while you and your wife go have a nice dinner!

"Worth" is different for every family. For our family, location is not "worth every penny". We have been to the magical place over 20 times and have stayed at Values, Mods and the 3 Rail resorts, BW is on our bucket list for an EPCOT resort and on average we might save 30-40 minutes a day. Well, that 30-40 minutes is costing us $200+ per day (compared to a Mod) and if you take that over a 6 night stay, it ends up paying for almost a full other trip. We rarely have issues with the buses and that has been with up to 2 strollers, DW and I have a routine and it goes pretty smoothly and our DD's love riding on the buses, makes them feel like grown ups. Now, does that mean we will not stay at another deluxe? Heck no!! But it will be because we decided to splurge on that trip. JMO

 

[DisneyLover0610]

The first trip my DH and I took together (then Dbf), we stayed at POP due to having a great deal, and the values being the only resorts I was familiar with from family trips. While we had a great time, the packed buses bothered him. 2 years later, we stayed at YC for our honeymoon and the location was to die for. Total trip was about double that of value, but worth every penny to my DH to be with in walking distance of the hotel. We love EPCOT, so it's perfect for us. We've stayed at all resorts on that loop and unfortunately (or fortunately depending how you look at it), we can never downgrade to mod or value again. I just save like crazy, Hamm piggy bank fills up quick with daily pocket change, and pay for most of the trip with Disney gc's bought at target with my TM discount (10%), REDcard discount (5%), and RX Rewards discount (5%). Be creative with how to save. I can't imagine you're DW would be "mad" at you the second she steps foot onto a Deluxe resort....
Goodluck!

 

[beebeeryan]

The convenience of the CR is amazing and I think worth the money. It was my DH who really wanted to stay there for that reason, I wasn't so sure about it, not my theme preference, but I loved it. My boys thought it was very Disney and our whole reason was the convenience factor with young kids. There is nothing more "Disney" than being able to walk to MK whenever you want and seeing the Monorail constantly. We ended up at MK every night just because it was right there, even just to have a bite to eat and do 2-3 rides before heading back. Worth the short walk over.

As far as Garden Wing over Tower. We could only swing the CR by booking the Garden Wing on a discount it was only a bit more than a MOD. The rooms are exactly the same, and request a 1st floor room if you want the outdoor space as was said before there are no balconies on the 2 and 3 floors. It's close to the pool which was great and the walk to the Tower is nothing, it's a compact resort compared to the MOD's and Values no matter where in the Garden Wing you are, you are not that far. We ended up being moved to an MK view room in the Tower for our last 2 nights because of a problem in our bathroom. Obviously, it was amazing and we loved it, but I still wouldn't pay for it personally and I actually really enjoyed the Garden Wing, it was quiet and we could see when the pool was open and closed (it rained a lot that week and there were frequent pool closures) which was really convenient because the pool was a big requirement for my boys daily and a slide is a must. The Tower was very hustle and bustle as soon as you stepped out of your room. Garden Wing is a great bargain for the convenience of this resort.

Good luck with your decision!

 

[Spacedog1975]

I find myself very much in the middle. I try to do Coronado or Carribean.

I've stayed at both twice, but really particularly enjoy the Coronado.

 

[mom to minnie&mickey]

"Worth" is different for every family. For our family, location is not "worth every penny". We have been to the magical place over 20 times and have stayed at Values, Mods and the 3 Rail resorts, BW is on our bucket list for an EPCOT resort and on average we might save 30-40 minutes a day. Well, that 30-40 minutes is costing us $200+ per day (compared to a Mod) and if you take that over a 6 night stay, it ends up paying for almost a full other trip. We rarely have issues with the buses and that has been with up to 2 strollers, DW and I have a routine and it goes pretty smoothly and our DD's love riding on the buses, makes them feel like grown ups. Now, does that mean we will not stay at another deluxe? Heck no!! But it will be because we decided to splurge on that trip. JMO

Well said! This thread got my curiosity and I went back and re-priced our August trip at Music for 11 nights using the same summer discount I used before. So, everything staying the same but choosing the Contemporary and the least expensive room that was offered (Tower Bay Lake View) the price difference was $3055! That is another vacation for us and almost what we are paying for the August one. Thankfully, dh and I are on the same page about vacationing less expensively but more often. As long as we stay on-site, we are good!

 

[Aliceacc]

Well said! This thread got my curiosity and I went back and re-priced our August trip at Music for 11 nights using the same summer discount I used before. So, everything staying the same but choosing the Contemporary and the least expensive room that was offered (Tower Bay Lake View) the price difference was $3055! That is another vacation for us and almost what we are paying for the August one. Thankfully, dh and I are on the same page about vacationing less expensively but more often. As long as we stay on-site, we are good!

The least expensive room in the Contemporary is NOT a Tower Bay Lake view, although that may be the least expensive room available for the dates you checked.

The least expensive is normally one in the garden wing.

I just checked with mousesavers. On a date in August, that Tower Bay Lake view is $128 per night more than a room in the Garden Wing. So for 11 nights, your room choice is $1400 of that $3055 you quoted.

 

[toodycat]

I would stay CR. I haven't stayed there, but I have stayed at the other monorail resorts with a small child and nothing beats a quick monorail ride back to the resort when the child is tired or cranky, a nap or a dip in the pool and a return trip to MK later on. I think the convenience factor is most important when traveling with younger kids. When they're bigger, it's easier to stay farther away from MK and take the bus. Also, although the CR is sleek and sophisticated, nothing says Disney quite like Chef Mickey's.

 

[mom to minnie&mickey]

The least expensive room in the Contemporary is NOT a Tower Bay Lake view, although that may be the least expensive room available for the dates you checked.

The least expensive is normally one in the garden wing.

I just checked with mousesavers. On a date in August, that Tower Bay Lake view is $128 per night more than a room in the Garden Wing. So for 11 nights, your room choice is $1400 of that $3055 you quoted.

Ok, yes I see what you're saying. I priced it out from the Disney site and that is the least expensive room offered Aug 4-15. Not familiar with all the room categories. Now I can see it being only $1655 more for the Garden Wing. Still a nice chunk of change but so much more doable especially for 11 nights. Hmm...maybe one day!

 

[lhermiston]

I find myself very much in the middle. I try to do Coronado or Carribean.

I've stayed at both twice, but really particularly enjoy the Coronado.

Those two resorts have actually emerged as our top two "compromises." What did you like about both? Dislike?

How long were the bus trips to the various resorts? Details please!

 

[mefordis]

I wasn't a fan of Coronado. We stayed there one night then moved to POR which felt more Disney-like.

I have a 4 yr old and a 9 yr old so convenience is everything to me. I cannot wait to be able to walk to the MK from BLT, and back to the resort after fireworks and parades. Totally worth it.