Too scared to look....

[Barbie & the 3 girls]

We are booked 12/14 to 12/23 at POR. We have stayed there before and hated the walk, but this time we are driving, so much less of a walk. We stayed at Coronado last time, driving our own car, and it was a breeze, loved the queen beds! We have also stayed Pop before. Too small for the 4 of us, me and my 12, 10, and 7 year old.

I am maybeeeee considering deluxe, but is it worth it? I am scared to absolute death to look at the cost difference. We also have free dining during our stay.

Someone, please, hold my hand and tell me what to do! ROFL. We are staying 2 days longer than usual because I hated being rushed down there and spending all that money when it wasn't *that* expensive to stay a few more days.

Okay, opinions?

Barbie the indecisive!

 

[CajunMomof3]

We are doing a split stay on our next trip to determine this exact thing...
We liked the BW alot, and it was worth the extra money for the ability to walk to HS and EP. This time we are trying the Poly and planning on using the monrail for MK and EP.
Also, there was a significant difference in the crowd levels at food court and bus stops...

 

[cbg1027]

You're staying 9 nights, which is a pretty long time....so why not try a split stay?

Do your first 5 nights at POR and then switch to a Deluxe for the last 4. That way the cost difference won't be nearly as much and you'll get to sample two resorts.

Also, WL and AKL are the cheapest of the deluxe resorts....you could try one of those for less than somewhere like the Poly or BC.

 

[figment_jii]

Most of the Deluxe resorts have easy access to at least one of the parks. You can walk to Epcot from the Epcot resorts (BW, YC, BC). You could also walk to DHS, but the wok is about 0.9 miles. There is also a boat that goes from the resorts to Epcot and DHS. The MK area resorts (CR, Poly, and GF) have the monorail. You can also walk from the CR to MK. One thing to note is that the Deluxe resort parking lots tend to be further from the rooms, so if being able to drive up to your room is important, you probably won't be able to do that at the Deluxes.

In terms of proximity, the Deluxe resorts cannot be beat. My family's favorite park is Epcot, so we really like staying over there because we can just walk into the park.

In terms if pricing, the rooms are pricey. I looked the rack rates (does not include tax) for the period when your going to be there on mousesavers.com:
POR: $164-$174
YC: $360-$370
CR: $325-$340

 

[Mousemommy1]

Take a deep breath...and just check it out. We have always done value resorts (and ventured once into moderates...and ONLY b/c of free dining) but for our upcoming trip in July, we are staying at WL!! We do have a 40% off discount which makes our 8 night stay very affordable...we have even upgraded to courtyard view with bunkbeds!!! We are hoping that the deluxe experience is "worth" it, but we'll never know unless we try, and neither will you!!! Heck, we are even considering a CL stay at AKL since that is only about $350 more than what we are paying for WL right now...decisions, decisions...

 

[MatzoRella]

I agree that you should consider a split stay. Also, check into whether passholder discounts are still available for your dates. An AP would cost you about $200 more than a park-hopper ticket, but could save you much more than that on the room. And do check rates at the Swan and Dolphin. They are not as interesting or luxe as, say, BWI or AKL, but the location is great and the price may be, too. Ask about AAA, AP, etc. Good luck! I hope you can do it.

 

[MatzoRella]

I'm seeing some very nice rates for your dates at the Dolphin without even trying discount codes.

 

[Missyrose]

Take a deep breath...and just check it out. We have always done value resorts (and ventured once into moderates...and ONLY b/c of free dining) but for our upcoming trip in July, we are staying at WL!! We do have a 40% off discount which makes our 8 night stay very affordable...we have even upgraded to courtyard view with bunkbeds!!! We are hoping that the deluxe experience is "worth" it, but we'll never know unless we try, and neither will you!!! Heck, we are even considering a CL stay at AKL since that is only about $350 more than what we are paying for WL right now...decisions, decisions...

Wow, AKL? you may be queen of the resort changers! Happy planning.

I agree that you should consider a split stay. Also, check into whether passholder discounts are still available for your dates. An AP would cost you about $200 more than a park-hopper ticket, but could save you much more than that on the room. And do check rates at the Swan and Dolphin. They are not as interesting or luxe as, say, BWI or AKL, but the location is great and the price may be, too. Ask about AAA, AP, etc. Good luck! I hope you can do it.

The current AP discounts from October to December had to be booked by Sept. 4, so they've expired.

 

[Havana]

We found the Deluxes really spoil you! It is certainly a wonderful treat to stay there. We used to be Value people, but after our first stay at WL last year we only stay Deluxe now. If you do the split, make sure to stay at the deluxe on the last half of the trip.

 

[Barbie & the 3 girls]

You all never fail to impress me! Guess who is calling WDW after I finish work? Will let you know how it goes!!

Thank you all again!

 

[Mousemommy1]

Wow, AKL? you may be queen of the resort changers! Happy planning.


The current AP discounts from October to December had to be booked by Sept. 4, so they've expired.

Hey now....I think it's been a full week since my last actual RESORT change...

 

[Barbie & the 3 girls]

She told me that all the resorts were full ( ? ) and that there was nowhere to move to at all. Then she said that if we did a split stay, we would have to buy a 2 day base ticket to each park per person? Which makes no sense to me, geez, as long as you are staying on property, why wouldn't your tickets work the same all the way through?

Before, I was scared, now I am upset that I don't have the chance to change!!

Thank you all for your help!

Barbie

 

[ElizabethB]

Free dining is not a good value at the deluxes anyway. It's better at the deluxes to use 40% off rates than use free dining.

So, with free dining, a stay at POR is perfect.

As you were told, a split stay is not practical with free dining. Free dining requires a purchase of a package, which includes 2-day tickets. So, you would have to book a package with 2-day tickets for your first hotel, followed by a second package with an additional set of 2-day tickets for the second hotel. Very impractical. With free dining, you have to pick one resort and stay there for the full length of your Disneyworld stay.

So, you have done the very best you could with the free dining option. Enjoy your stay!

If you want to stay deluxe next time, watch for a 40% off discount and book with that (though discounts are not very plentiful at holiday times). Then, either buy your dining plan yourself or skip the dining plan and just pay out of pocket. That's what we do.

IMO, the only time free dining with a deluxe makes sense is if you are going to have to pay full price for the deluxe room anyway. In that case, if free dining is available, you might as well have it as not.

 

[sndral]

She told me that all the resorts were full ( ? ) and that there was nowhere to move to at all. Then she said that if we did a split stay, we would have to buy a 2 day base ticket to each park per person? Which makes no sense to me, geez, as long as you are staying on property, why wouldn't your tickets work the same all the way through?

Before, I was scared, now I am upset that I don't have the chance to change!!

Thank you all for your help!

Barbie

The free dinning package requires the purchase of 2 days park tickets minimum to get the free dinning (used to be 1 day.) If you did not have free dinning you could get park tickets that lasted for your whole stay no matter how many times you changed resorts. Because disney decrees that everyone staying on a package must have the same package (one person wants water parks add on, everyone has to buy it, for ex.) to split/switch resorts and keep free dinning you'd basically be buying 2 packages.

Did she say all the resorts were full for the free dinning offer (which I think just expired)?
Assuming you're paying around $3000 and some change for your current moderate room w/ free dinning and park tickets, to compare-
I ran your dates for the WL and it shows availability as did AKL and GF.
They just released an AP discount of 35% for deluxes. If you bought one AP you could use that discount, assuming rooms were available, then a WL room (courtyard view) for your group minus 35% would be $2187 (plus tax.) Add dinning plan for $1349. 10 day park hopper tickets for the kids $984. AP for you $553 = total $5043 (plus tax.)
Sometimes a general public discount follows an AP discount if so the numbers are the same, except you wouldn't need to buy an AP to get the discount and your 10 day hoppers for all 4 are $1320. Total $4856 (plus tax.)

 

[canopynut66]

We are booked 12/14 to 12/23 at POR. We have stayed there before and hated the walk, but this time we are driving, so much less of a walk. We stayed at Coronado last time, driving our own car, and it was a breeze, loved the queen beds! We have also stayed Pop before. Too small for the 4 of us, me and my 12, 10, and 7 year old.

I am maybeeeee considering deluxe, but is it worth it? I am scared to absolute death to look at the cost difference. We also have free dining during our stay.

Someone, please, hold my hand and tell me what to do! ROFL. We are staying 2 days longer than usual because I hated being rushed down there and spending all that money when it wasn't *that* expensive to stay a few more days.

Okay, opinions?

Barbie the indecisive!

we have been 59 times this trip and we started in deluxe and was not using the amenities as were up took showers and gone all day so we went to moderates and loved POR but again the Roost to see Bob play at night and the boat to DTD was all we did there so we tried all stars and stayed at all three at one time or the other and to small areas for us then tried POP an it is just right clean /good service and food court not bad we do not eat there often as we upgrade to the MYWD from quick service and do character meals for breakfast and then some dinners and a signature. we get two rooms --connecting--- at Pop---and has to be adult in each room per Disney but is cheaper than a suite and we have plenty of room this way. we missed moderates for a while but POP so spread out / 3 pools and bus service the best on property so have not rented a car in 5 years... we now do not even have to justify all the $$$$ we spend all over WDW for things we really do not need but want