Value vs Moderate

[Disneynut6]

We are planning a trip to WDW next fall. We have stayed at the Sports and Movies before. The Movies is our favorite so far. I wanted to know is it worth it to spend the extra money for a moderate. Is there a big difference? I know most moderates have two sinks and now come with a refrigerator. Are the rooms large, very large, or the same size as a Value?

Sometime in the future I would like to splurge on a deluxe resort on the monorail but that is for another trip. Thanks for all your help.

 

[CamColt]

Welcome to the Dis, Disneynut6. You will find lots of great info here.

As for your question. I had stayed at POR 2x and then went to ASMO. We have since stayed there 2 more times and ASSP once. After staying at All Stars I would have a hard time going back to a moderate.

We did enjoy our stays at the moderate, it wasnt a bad resort. The rooms were a little bigger than a value resort, but not much. We love the theming at ASMO. Its just so Disney. We found bus service to be much better there too. I also prefer how the resort is more compact than POR. CMs and food court were great at both places. Even though there is a sit down restaurant at the moderates, we never used it, so that wasnt an advantage to us. The only thing we missed at All Stars was the lounge entertainment, but with 2 young kids, thats not top priority.
The price of the value was just a bonus to us as we really do prefer the values to the moderate.

 

[Scoootch]

The main differences in when you bump up to a moderate will be a sit down restaraunt in addition to the food courts,water slides and hot tubs at the main pools and slightly (but not too terribly much) larger square footage in the room size. If none of these things are important to you it may not be worth the extra but if you have older kids who like the water slides at the pools or you yourself enjoy the hot tub then that could make a difference.

HTH's

 

[leighe]

If room size is a big reason for choosing a moderate, I'm pretty sure the rooms at CBR are the biggest. We've stayed there once and loved it. We didn't care much for ASSp but we were only there for one night.

 

[rockin_rep]

I just recently posted this on another thread but it applies here too ---

IMO there aren't enough differences in the moderates to justify the money. They're also lacking in disney MAGIC, imo -- Riverside reminded me of church camp, NOT disney!!!

We love staying in nice resorts but won't stay in one at WDW, even tho we can afford them.

When in Disney, we want TOTAL Disney MAGIC so we won't stay in a resort that could be found anywhere else on the face of the earth!!

We don't want anything to interfere with the Disney Magic.

* WL reminds me of our wonderful out-west national park road trips,
* POLY reminds me of Hawaii trips,
* Grand Floridian reminds me of corporate sales meetings, ugh, the LAST reminder i want at WDW!!!!

We travel ALOT but Disney trips go soo fast. We WANT the Disney overload --- we're certainly paying for it!!!

 

[n2mm]

You should always try the moderates, just to see how you feel. As for my opinion (and my husbands), we don't think the price difference is worth it. We would rather stay at a value resort than put the money out for a moderate. We always rent a car, so going to other restraurants is not a problem. We go 4 times a year and choose the values for 2 stays and choose the deluxes for 2 stays. It's a nice balance for us. (When we do choose deluxes, we book WL, CR, or AKL--which are all in the lower range of prices, and usually during value season). someone mentioned hot tubs.....that would be hot TUB. While CSR has a nice BIG hot tub, CBR, POR and FQ have one tiny hot tub, not nearly enough room to accommodate the resorts. We have stayed at all of the moderates and as we were driving to the food court at the All Stars, it dawned on us, that we should be doing this the other way around. Stay at the cheapest place, then we can eat at all of the better places. This works for us, but we're very easy and not high maintenance folks. Yes the rooms at the moderates are slightly larger. Yes you do get a sit down restraurant (except FQ, which shares with POR), but you give up the huge foodcourts that the values offer. Only each individual can judge the pros and cons. Took us a while, but we found what works for us. BTW: Even when we stay at the deluxes, we still zip over to the food court at the A/S Movies (one of the best) to grab a quick bite.

 

[jonemick]

I don't know about all the moderates but IMHO POR is much quieter then you'll find at the value resorts. Not everyone wants to be imersed in the frenzied Disney atmphoshere 24/7. Besides at POR you can rent a boat or take the boat ride to downtown disney which is fun and relaxing.

 

[Jockaroo]

Hope this helps. Room size at Values is 260 sq. ft. Room size at Mods. range between 315 sq. ft. to 340 sq. ft (CB has the larger rooms.)

I've stayed at AS Music, AS Movies and CB. These are the differences I noticed when I stayed at CB for 3 days in May 03.

-Ceiling fan
-TV in an armoire
-larger table and chairs
-nicer vanity area with larger surface to store items. Only one sink like AS--not 2
-bathroom didn't feel as squished--still very small
-more room between room door and bed
-more room at foot of bed and TV area
-a small bench against the wall next to the TV. Peg hooks over the bench to hang items
-curtain separating the sink area from the rest of the room

Yes the room was larger. For just two of us it did not matter though. I felt the biggest difference in the bathroom. The AS baths tend to feel claustraphobic they are so tiny. I enjoyed my stay at CB. I would stay again at CB or Movies or Music. But I did not see the moderate being that much better than the Values. Theming at the resort was very nice. Didn't use the pool, but it did look nicer with more ammenities than AS pools. The food court at CB had a nice theme and good food, but I found it harder to get a table to eat than at either AS resort. Also know we paid approx. $85 a night for CB. Stayed for 3 days then moved to the Swan for 9 nights at $89 a night (yes, it was a fabulous deal). Swan offered the two sinks, larger and nicer layout of the room, a true closet, a real bathroom, and the most comfortable bed you can imagine. For me, I'd rather stay at an AS for the money or splurge a little more for the Swan at a decent rate than stay at the moderate.

 

[currycook]

Go up to the moderates and I think you will find its well worth the little extra cost.

 

[Disneynut6]

Thank you for all the advice. This is my first time using the disboards. As you can tell from my handle I love Disney and it looks like the Values are better than the Moderates. We just wanted to know if there was more room and it doesn't sound like it is worth the extra money for a little bit more room. Anyways we spend most of our time at the parks. The last time at the Movies we didn't get a chance to use the Fantasia pool. I have a little girl and she loved the Toy Story building, where we stayed. She was 2 and half and loved playing in Andy's room. Sit down restaurants are not a priority because we do PS at the theme parks. We enjoyed the value and the food at the Movies food court. Hopefully in one of our future trips we will be able to splurge on a Deluxe hotel.

 

[Minnie&Nana]

Originally posted by Jockaroo
These are the differences I noticed when I stayed at CB for 3 days in May 03.- Only one sink like AS--not 2
-

A little correction CBR has 2 sinks. It's one of my favorite resorts and have stayed there many times

 

[disneymom2one]

I think it's without question worth the price difference. We just returned from a short weekend with one night at Pop and two at POFQ. There's just no comparison to me. Pop just felt so crowded to me (even at 10 at night there was a line to check in). POFQ was everything I expect from a Disney resort - a nice room, peaceful surroundings, and superior service.

But at 35 and 37 with an autistic daughter I need all those things. We're DVC members for just that reason.

 

[princessknb]

We have stayed at CBR before and really enjoyed it!! But this time I figure why not POP (it's what the kids wanted)!

 

[leighmidd]

We've only stayed at moderates and I would definitely recommend giving them a try. They are much quieter and the landscaping and theming are outstanding. POR has the magnolia trees and manicured gardens of the deep south while CBR is covered in palm trees and tropical plants that make you feel like you're on a tropical island. Plus -- the boat ride to DTD while staying at POR or PORFQ is worth the added cost. The 20 min boat ride through beautiful scenery, listening to great big band music is truly Disney magic at its best!

We're all about immersing ourselves in the experience. We never rent a car, take only Disney transportation and do nothing else for 11-12 days but Disneyworld. I think the moderates add to the magic!

 

[Minnie&Nana]

Originally posted by leighmidd
We're all about immersing ourselves in the experience. We never rent a car, take only Disney transportation and do nothing else for 11-12 days but Disneyworld. I think the moderates add to the magic!

This is exactly how I love to visit! I find that when affordable, the MK resorts even add to this (and I do enjoy a balcony), but otherwise CBR is the next best to being at an MK resort to me...you truly feel you're in another world!!

This time we'll be at POP so it will take a bit more to get that immersed feeling, but if we get a lake view I think I'll manage!

 

[jsmla]

Our family enjoyed the All Stars when the kids were small. There were always lots of families there and my kids really preferred the themeing. Now, we usually stay in a moderate. That little extra bit of elbow room comes in handy now that they are teens and DS is 6'1''! Also, if you have boys and girls the privacy curtain ( in POFQ and CBR, I'm not sure of the others) really comes in handy once the kids enter the adolescent years. The tub/toilet areas are tiny and difficult for the guys to dress in at both the values and the mods.

Jennifer

 

[mm6mm6]

We've stayed at the CBR and the CSR for a week each.

I can only tell you what we loved about them.

The CBR has 7 pools all around the resort. This really helps spread people out. Even in June, it never felt crowded.

We payed for a water view room which gave us a second floor overlooking the shimmering lake.

I would step outside every morning by myself and drink some o.j., leaning on the railing and taking in the warm Florida morning. It was gorgeous, it was peaceful. The dew on the thick grass sparkled.

I felt like I was at a resort and not at a hotel.

The white sand beaches and hammocks really lend to the atmosphere.

 

[Pig Pen]

I've stayed at Values, Mods, and Deluxes. In my opinion if you have young children and don't mind the noise and general chaos, the values are fine.

I would go for CSR if you are looking for quiet, adult atmosphere. Don't get me wrong - this is a great resort for kids as well - FABULOUS POOL and play areas - but it's more relaxing. I'm sure POR and CBR are fine as well.

The deluxes are wonderful and you should definitely plan to stay in one in the future.

Warning - upgrading is hazardous to your pocketbook as it spoils you forever!

 

[superbird]

Originally posted by Disneynut6
We are planning a trip to WDW next fall. We have stayed at the Sports and Movies before. The Movies is our favorite so far. I wanted to know is it worth it to spend the extra money for a moderate. Is there a big difference? I know most moderates have two sinks and now come with a refrigerator. Are the rooms large, very large, or the same size as a Value?

Sometime in the future I would like to splurge on a deluxe resort on the monorail but that is for another trip. Thanks for all your help.

The big issue is also the "theme" I prefer to try something new once in awhile. It is a nice relaxing way to go the beach at the caribbean resort and their themes, while also feeling like your down south at the port orleans. Disney tries to make it feel like it so sometimes it is another place to get away for the adults too. Kids still loved the pools and food courts, but the adults got a theme too.