Use points at moderate resorts??

[kowalchicky]

Are you able to apply DVC points to a moderate resort such as Caribbean Beach Resort?

 

[FreeTime]

Yes, you will pay the $95 fee.

 

[wdw1972]

Yes, you CAN....but it'd be easier to just toss a pile of money on the table and set it on fire. When you look into it you'll see that besides that $95 fee you'll pay far more points for a relatively crummy moderate room (and CBR is the worst of the bunch) than you'd pay for a studio at the much nicer DVC resorts. You don't pay Ruth's Chris prices for a steak dinner at Ponderosa....using dvc points for a CBR room makes about as much sense as that.

If you *want* to stay at CBR for some reason...book it with cash. Rent some dvc points if that's the only way you can afford the cash. You'll come out way ahead!

 

[Lynne M]

You can use points at any of the moderates.

Here's a example that may convince you not to:

In the cheapest season, a standard view at a moderate is 17 points for a weeknight, 31 points for a weekend night. Plus, you'll pay a $95 exchange fee.

In the cheapest season, a one bedroom villa at OKW is 16 points for a weeknight, 40 points for a weekend night. A studio at OKW is 8/20 points.



If you need to be at CBR, I'd recommend paying cash.

 

[kowalchicky]

As of now I have a 10 day vacation planned ...we have reservations to stay at fort wilderness lodge and the boardwalk....since I've made those reservations I seen that they are offering free dining...I'd be better off saving my points and just paying for the entire stay at a moderate resort in cash and get the free dining....I wish there was some way for DVC to offer us at least a heavy discount on dining when it's being offered to people for FREE.

 

[disneynutz]

As of now I have a 10 day vacation planned ...we have reservations to stay at fort wilderness lodge and the boardwalk....since I've made those reservations I seen that they are offering free dining...I'd be better off saving my points and just paying for the entire stay at a moderate resort in cash and get the free dining....I wish there was some way for DVC to offer us at least a heavy discount on dining when it's being offered to people for FREE.

Free dining isn't "free". Guests pay the highest possible price for a room during the worst time of year, plus they must buy at least one park admission ticket.

Also free dining and the DDP has caused Disney to change the way that the do business in the restaurants. They have gone from offering a decent selection of quality food, to average, pretty much the same everywhere food. Reduced menu selections allows Disney to turn over the tables at a faster rate. Their goal is to serve more Guests in less time. This isn't conducive to a great Guest experience, but it does increase the bottom line.

 

[DisneyWalker44]

Yes, you CAN....but it'd be easier to just toss a pile of money on the table and set it on fire. When you look into it you'll see that besides that $95 fee you'll pay far more points for a relatively crummy moderate room (and CBR is the worst of the bunch) than you'd pay for a studio at the much nicer DVC resorts. You don't pay Ruth's Chris prices for a steak dinner at Ponderosa....using dvc points for a CBR room makes about as much sense as that.

With all due respect, that's hogwash. The moderates are great. You may hate the mods for some reason, but there's not a huge gulf between them and a DVC studio. I'd easily stay in one for a change of pace if the price was right, especially when you figure we've got 30-50 years of trips.

There are times when the mods aren't that much more than DVC, and there will be times when DVC is booked and a mod is your best option.

 

[DisneyWalker44]

Also free dining and the DDP has caused Disney to change the way that the do business in the restaurants. They have gone from offering a decent selection of quality food, to average, pretty much the same everywhere food.

Free dining didn't cause that. It's a choice Disney made across the board - it's in the restaurants, bars, shops etc.

 

[BEASLYBOO]

Free dining didn't cause that. It's a choice Disney made across the board - it's in the restaurants, bars, shops etc.

I partly disagree, free dining is not totally responsible but it has a lot to do with the quality and variety offered. You can't supply hords of people too many choices or else you wouldn't be able to get the stuff from the kitchen to the table and have it be cost affective. It all tastes the same and IMO the food is mediocre at best. I realize that for some families it's the breaking point of affording a vacation and if for that only it's a good idea, but let's be honest Disney didn't do it for that reason, it's for the all mighty buck and to keep you and your money in the parks!

Yes, Disney made some changes accross the board in quality most probably brought upon by the need to save and make more money.

 

[kimberh]

Slighty off topic...We were there the first week of May. Every restaurant we ate at was packed. They were turing people away for the night! Had nothing to do with Free Dining. I did not purchase the DDP, We were Cash. I have to say that we would have saved money on this trip with the DDP. We had a Concierge stay, I really thought we would save paying cash, it was not so. We still ate only one TS meal. They are high! Our meal at Chefs de France was over $100.00, for two with tip. We ordered the special, 3 courses for a certain price. If, we had ordered A la Carte it would have been more.
I do not think the Mod's compare to a Studio. Sorry! The beds are doubles and hard. We stayed at CSR's once during Free Dining. It was just not worth it to us.
If that is your only choice, and you have a few kids, it may be worth it to you. But for us, it is not.
You can't stay on points and get free dining. It's a full price cash stay with a ticket purchase.

 

[thelionqueen]

With all due respect, that's hogwash. The moderates are great. You may hate the mods for some reason, but there's not a huge gulf between them and a DVC studio. I'd easily stay in one for a change of pace if the price was right, especially when you figure we've got 30-50 years of trips.

There are times when the mods aren't that much more than DVC, and there will be times when DVC is booked and a mod is your best option.

With all due respect as well, I completely disagree! The moderates are the worst value and accommodations in all of WDW IMO. I've stayed in every moderate and most values (only all-star sports is excluded) and the difference for what you get is insane. For twice the cost (roughly) of a value, a moderate gets you the EXACT same beds (2 doubles) and a whopping 40 extra square foot of space. There is also a water slide in the major pool and slightly (I emphasize slightly) higher level of dining provided. That's it. Some people can argue that the grounds are nicer, landscaping better, etc. But when you're dealing with facts, they are above.

When you compare a moderate to a DVC studio, there is no comparison. For those counting amenities, the difference is unmatched at a DVC vs. moderate. You will get queen size beds @ DVC, not doubles. And depending on which DVC comparing to which moderate, the difference in room size is sizeable.

If you had nothing else to do than trade in your DVC points to stay at a moderate, then by all means do it. However, you will get MUCH nicer accommodations/amenities @ a DVC resort at a MUCH better value. Just my
.02

 

[disneynutz]

Free dining didn't cause that. It's a choice Disney made across the board - it's in the restaurants, bars, shops etc.

Free dining and the DDP is a money maker or Disney wouldn't do it. By reducing the quality they save money, by reducing the menu selections they save money. DDP is a great money maker because as soon as the Guest turns their money into credits, they loose their brains. They are spending credits, not money, so it doesn't matter if they use a TS credit on a $10 hamburger or worse yet, not use all of their credits.

 

[DisneyWalker44]

For those counting amenities, the difference is unmatched at a DVC vs. moderate. You will get queen size beds @ DVC, not doubles.

That would be "bed" not "beds". If you've got more than two people in the room, they are sleeping on a pullout couch. While the DVC bed is better than the mod bed, I'll take the mod bed over the pull-out couch any day.

And depending on which DVC comparing to which moderate, the difference in room size is sizeable.

The difference between the two is typically 40 square feet. Which I seem to remember somebody describing sarcastically as "whopping"

While I love my DVC rooms, I just don't think the difference over a mod is as night-and-day as some think.

 

[Silver Queen]

Although we would never use our points to stay at a moderate (it doesn't make financial sense to us to spend the extra $95 and use more points) we do not agree with the negative opinion some posters have about moderates. In the past we have had several very pleasant stays at CBR. We love the colorful tropical ambiance and beautiful landscaping and the service there has always been excellent. If we were still cash paying guests we would definitely stay at a moderate before we spent cash for a deluxe.

 

[thelionqueen]

That would be "bed" not "beds". If you've got more than two people in the room, they are sleeping on a pullout couch. While the DVC bed is better than the mod bed, I'll take the mod bed over the pull-out couch any day.



The difference between the two is typically 40 square feet. Which I seem to remember somebody describing sarcastically as "whopping"

While I love my DVC rooms, I just don't think the difference over a mod is as night-and-day as some think.

And to clarify, the pull out bed is a QUEEN so my original post of queen sized bedS is correct, but thank you for your attempt at clarification in your incorrect post.

I am the one who does not consider 40 square feet anything to write home about but that is ME and MY opinion. And since everyone here is voicing an opinion, yours about "night and day" would be yours, not mine.

 

[Chuck S]

The pull out in most studios is full (double) sized, OKW studios have 2 real queen beds. One bedroom units have a king and a queen sleeper sofa, plus a sleeper chair at AKV and BLT.

The topic of this thread isn't to discuss the advantages of moderates vs DVC, it is discussing using points at moderates. And it is true that moderates take more points than a DVC studio and has the associated $95 fee. Looking at it purely at point value, you get more value from your points at a DVC resort. It doesn't mean their is anything wrong with moderate resorts. In fact, we sometimes stay a POP Century for a night, when we arrive early, and that is a value resort...and it is still a Disney resort, with theming and service, just minus some of the amenities, like table service and pool towels.

 

[DebbieB]

I've stayed at all the moderates, mostly pre-DVC or for "extra" vacations with friends and liked them. They are a step up from the values and not as expensive as the deluxe. I did stay at POFQ for 1 night on points when I arrived for a business trip a day early. There were no DVC resorts available, any size room. That was before the $95 fee.

 

[gkrykewy]

OP sort of took us on this tangent by indicating she might use points at a moderate to get the free dining....?

 

[DebbieB]

OP sort of took us on this tangent by indicating she might use points at a moderate to get the free dining....?

She said pay cash for the whole thing and get free dining. A standard moderate room at rack rate for August/September is $168 incl tax. Depending on how many people you have, you have to decide if it's worth paying for "free dining" vs using points at a DVC.

 

[AWilliams]

Is there a link/post with the point values for regular rooms at all the resorts?

Thanks!

Amy