Value vs Moderates

[KatMark]

Like others have said, it really just depends on your family.

Some things that the moderates have that the values don't:
1. A curtain between the bathroom area and the rest of the room. For a family not having the curtain may not be a big deal; but while going withr friends I wished we had had the curtain for more privacy while getting changed etc.
2. A small fridge is included. If you stay at a value, there's a $10 a day charge.
3. The bathroom has a double sink. This often comes in handy for obvious reasons.
4. The pool has slides. If you decided to stay at CBR they have a really great kid section...
5. The main pool provides towels for guests.
6. 2 queen size beds

VS.

VALUE...(Pop Century, personally I think it's the best of the value)
The value is perfect if you don't plan on spending too much time in your room. Also, the theming is awesome; your kids would enjoy it. Like others have said there's only one spot where the busses come to pick up which is convenient. I really like it here, it's just a really fun atmosphere.
The rooms are the smallest though which can become crazy.

Some tips if you decide to stay at Pop:
1. Bring a pop up hamper to bring to keep clothes in.
2. Bring an over the door shoe organizer for the bathroom area. Everything tends to get cluttered there; this provides some organization.
3. I believe most dollar stores carry these; there's toothbrush holders with sunction cups on to hang on the mirror.
I know there's a ton more space saver tips; just look around the boards!

Have fun!

Just so the original poster does not get confused, all of the moderates do NOT have queen size beds. The only moderate that has queen size beds is the Coronado. Also, the Coronado does not have two sinks (but a long counter with one sink) and the Coronado has sliding doors rather than a curtin to separate the bathroom/bedroom.

 

[Stormin'theCastle]

With two boys of those ages, I highly recommend POR if you plan to spend time at the pool. I really feel the ambiance of a resort can contribute to the quality of your vacation. I've never tried POP, and I know folks who like it a lot, but for my boys (currently 7 and 5) the lack of a waterslide and other water features @ the pool is sort of a downer.

POR has great food options, wonderful lush landscaping, and a great pool for kids. Plus a boat to DTD! I really think it's worth the money to upgrade if you can swing it. We have stayed at a Value once before (All Star Sports), and it was okay...but I just didn't enjoy our downtime anywhere as much as I have at other WDW resorts.

We've stayed at CBR and CSR too. Both have really fun pools, but I prefer the food and theming of POR over those two.

Good luck deciding!

 

[chocovrdmicears]

We have stayed at 2 Values, 2 Mods and 2 Deluxes.
We loved our stays at the Values and Deluxes. The Mods did nothing for us.
I would rather spend the extra on a Deluxe (Poly and AKL are our favorites).
Or for our budget trips, we LOVE POP.

 

[bentleygirl22]

we don't mind staying in a value But the value has to be Pop resort .. We love staying at the Pop resort... We stayed at all star sports last Dec and hated it , it was not for us... Pop is total different from the other values...

 

[onescgirl]

I've only been to Disney once and we stayed at All-Start Sports. I wanted that resort for my son & requested a room facing the 'football field' since he plays football. We got our room request location. My two kids loved it there & the theme. We were definitely not at our hotel much during that trip. And, noise was never a problem. The dining area was only crowded in the morning.
We ate dinner at the Grand Floridian Resort one night during our stay, which was beautiful. I asked my kids if they would like to stay there, thinking they would be screaming yes, but they said 'No Way!'. I was like, 'why?' They said it wasn't as cool as our hotel because we had lots of cartoon character stuff at ours. That said, your kids will probably be very happy at a value.
This year, we are moving up to stay at a moderate, CBR, in Sept. I'm curious to see how much better we like the moderate. I'm sure we'll like it better, but I mean worth xtra $ better.
I do think we will like having two sinks & a privacy curtain that's in the mod rooms. I can't change in front of my son, & the room that has the shower/toilet (at the value resorts) is sooooo small to go change in.

 

[Wonderdis]

To all of you, thank you very much for your input.

I am sure any resort will provide as much fun as we would like to have ... it is disney after all.

Might end up with a moderate due to bigger bed/room.

 

[jenrose66]

I have stayed at a moderate resort 3 times (POFQ). I have also stayed at POP 2 times and ASMu once. I don't think there is much difference between mods and values.

I love POFQ because of the size and theming. I would love to stay there again...but the cost is a bit prohibitive now that we have a family. Even with a PIN I can't seem to justify the extra cash. Also one downfall with POFQ (not sure if this is the case with other mods) but the bus stop doesn't have a queue at the resort. So you just stand there waiting for your bus and especially at busier times of the year everyone starts to push and shove once the bus arrives...I like order so the bus stops really annoyed me.

If you do go with a mod if your boys like Pirates of the Carribean then maybe they would like the Carribean Beach resort?

For values...my favorite is POP. I like the size. I like the pool areas. I think the gift shop and food court are great. POP is now my first choice. I just stayed at ASMu in January and I also walked around all the other allstars while I was there. I didn't care for the all stars as much because there were a lot of school groups there. That made the food court more crowded...the kids were behaved...I just felt like I was on a field trip and that's not my thing However if you were to pick an all star...I liked the theming and common areas at Movies the best based on all three of the all stars.

Have fun with your planning!

 

[maxiesmom]

I Also one downfall with POFQ (not sure if this is the case with other mods) but the bus stop doesn't have a queue at the resort. So you just stand there waiting for your bus and especially at busier times of the year everyone starts to push and shove once the bus arrives...I like order so the bus stops really annoyed me.

Just as an FYI, only the Value resorts have lines at the bus stop. At the Moderate and Deluxe resort they have benches, so some people sit, and some people line up. But they do not have the chains to for the lines like they do at the Value resorts.

 

[PoohJen]

I stayed at CB a long, long time ago, but Port Orleans Riverside (fka Dixie Landings) is our fave Moderate.

We also spent one night last year on a whim at All Star Movies, and I was pleasantly suprised. It was worth the $75 we spent just to be on site for the Disney feel while we were on a short Blizzard Beach/Disney Quest Disney fix.

Here's what I noticed:
I did notice the room was smaller, and I think the beds were smaller (but my family is getting bigger, so...could be my imagination? - Don't recall if POR is queens or doubles).

There was a woman making a huge scene at check in at ASM- calling alot of attn to herself, that can happen anywhere, but too bad she was making checkin unpleasant for everyone.

I never use the sit down restaurant at POR, so that's not a concern. And the food court can be just as crowded at POR as it was at ASM!

For a longer stay, I do prefer POR because:
- can sleep 5
- Nicer themed pools, with slides
- Hot tubs/whirlpools - I didn't notice them at ASM
- Nice, peaceful landscaping
- free water taxi to Downtown Disney - when it's just us adults, we sometimes just like to take the ride

You need to decide if these things are worth the extra $$ to you (you've already decided that a Disney hotel - value or mod - is worth the extra $$$ over a comparable non-Disney hotel!). No matter which you choose, I'm sure you'll have a great trip and great memories!

 

[dancin Disney style]

We break it down this way.....

If we are planning and 'all park, every day' trip then we go with a value resort. These trips really only have us sleeping and showering in the room and maybe one visit to the pool.

If the plan is to have more of an R&R trip then we stay at a mod. These trips allow us the time to enjoy the extra amenities at the resort.

 

[poegirl30]

We've stayed at POP, ASMo, and POR, and we are going back to POR in June (thanks to a Free QS pin!). The kids liked it better than POP, and the boat to DTD was really nice. And like a PP noted, the covered bus stops are great!

 

[dominicsplace]

We loved POFQ - Pool was nice, Food Court was great and boat to DTD at night is so cool!

 

[Mme. Leota]

I have stayed at 2 mod. (FQ & CSR). Coronado Springs is very nice but this past Sept. I got a $99 rate at the Dolphin and I would stay there again if the rate was the same as the mods. (it is alot of the time). Dolphin was nicer to us and you get the option of the boat or walk to Epcot/DHS. Bus to MK/AK. (No Magical Express though). You get EMH too. The values are OK but I am like the PP about standing in the sun waiting AND I like my morning coffee in my room. Also, if you don't get preferred rooms it can be a LONG way back to the room after a long day at the parks.

Sorry to hijack the thread, but please share how you got a $99 rate at the Dolphin! Thanks Alabama Minnie! Now back to your regularly scheduled program.

 

[Pembo]

I've stayed at AS Mo and POR/POFQ.

The clincher for us is that the mods have waterslides and the values do not. My kids love their waterslides.

I also love the peacefulness at POR and the quiet pools. But that is personal prefernce.

 

[skier_pete]

WE have stayed at POP (once - and again in 18 days) and at POFQ twice. We loved them both.

First of all, I would say that you should look at your budget #1, if you can't afford a moderate...then you won't do it. I would probably split future trips between the two levels, here's how I would differentiate:

If you think you are going to be pretty hardcore park tourers, not spending a ton of time at the resort, then I would go Value.

If you prefer having downtime on your vacation and plan on spending some time at the hotel, then pick a Moderate. The pools are nicer, and the resorts not as crowded, and there are more other amenities as well.

That said, there is nothing wrong with the values. The reason we choose these two in particular:
POP - Doesn't share buses. The All-Stars do. Otherwise I think they are all pretty the same. I was also surprised for it's size, it's not really that big, so not bad in terms of the walking at the resort. (I don't want to have to walk a gazillion miles at my resort.) The values in general are very "budget hotel", so if you don't like such things, then they might not be for you.

Moderates:
POFQ - Also all about the buses. It's a smaller resort, so very central. It's got one bus stop...the buses stop here first before going to POR. Therefore, in the morning, you are the first on the buses, so you can usually get a seat. (Sometimes when the buses are super busy, they don't share.) and at the end of the day, they drop of FIRST also, so you are first back to your resort.
At POFQ, you can use the POR facilities, but that resort is VERY spread out compared to POFQ - and we like the theming at POFQ. We got a room (not a preferred room) that was about 100 feet from the pool, 50 feet from the food court, and 250 feet from the bus-stop. That's the only resort you'll EVER get that without paying extra $$.

CBR has appeal to kids, but it is VERY spread out. If you choose that, make sure to research what building to stay in...and let them know which one you want. We had friends stay there, and we helped them pick a building. They got the requested building, and they thought it was great. They had three kids 5,3, and 1.

CSR has a very loyal following but the Southwest theme has no appeal to me. We visit my parents in Arizona a lot, so I could care less about seeing more Southwest theming.

 

[JCMHutch]

I have stayed at all the Values, as well as POFQ (thanks to the 4+3 promo last year) and at the Dolphin.

I agree with some of the other posters in that cost can be a big factor. I do not think I would of stayed at POFQ if not for the free nights, which brought the price down to the same as the values at that time. Also, I would not have stayed at the Dolphin if I hadn't been there for a conference and had the low conference rate honored for the extra days we stayed. Because of the these trips, I have (unfortunately) come to realize that the values are not really my style anymore. This year, we had plannined on staying at the POR but DH & I are going to stay at POP in July because it was 40% less.

Let me add that the values were great when I started visiting Disney again in the mid 90s. We would attack the parks from open til closing and crash at the hotel. Now, as I close in on the later side of my 30s (old age is setting in I'm afraid ), I find that I enjoy spending time at the resort, enjoying the pool in the afternoon, walking the grounds, and sitting on the balcony with a good book for a little while.

The Values are a good deal, and if you have kids, the stay is fun with all the larger than life characters etc, on the grounds. The bus lines are very simple and straightfoward there. I found buses at the POP the best because Movies, Sports and Music share buses while POP has its own. I know some people don't like the food courts, but I have found them very similar in all 4 values and have not had anything bad there.

One thing - the Values can be louder and as one person said previously, check and see if any sport related activities are going on. We had a couple of trips when there were cheering competitions - the All Stars were overrun, and I do mean overrun, by cheerleaders. (Additionally, the closed down Indiana Jones for the entire week for the competition).

Whatever you decide, have a great trip.

 

[samiet620]

For our first trip we stayed at a mod..and loved it. We chose it because we knew we would be using the pool at the resort and the slide was something my kids really wanted..it may seem petty but it was imp. to them When I was planning our trip I made sure to enfasize the fact that no matter what we were not going to see everything so I wanted to be relaxed and actually enjoy ourselves with no stress(Honestly it amazes me how many peeps are so stressed on whats supposed to be a vacation!!!) So our plan was we would go to the parks and when ever we wanted a break...a nap or just a lazy hour or two we'd hit the resort room or pool..hence the need for that slide or anything else the kids wanted! I don't regret it..we stayed at the Coronado and loved it..it also has its own bus so it seemed less crowded at the buses..on the other hand that was for our first trip, now if we want to go with this economy and other factors we will be staying at an economy..we'll see how that goes cuz we definitely use the resort almost as much as being in the parks! Well sorry I was a bit long winded there..but for 1st time spring for a mod..coronado was really nice!

 

[jwwi]

Best pools at Moderates CBR and POFQ. Check out the pictures on the Allears site. Bed size can be important to a good nights rest, Moderates have larger beds. Two sinks, privacy curtain and refrig are all helpful, another plus for Mod.
POP is best Value, but the All Stars can be a fun place to stay with kids too. Large icons and lots of other kids around. Pay for preferred, it's worth it.

 

[disneymomof2boyz]

I personally could never stay at a Value for more than 2-3nights. We have stayed 1 wk before and I was exhausted and my back was killing me. Ever since then we have only stayed at the Mods and once at a Deluxe. We are going back next month, we will only be staying for a weekend, but we will be staying at POR. I chose POR because we have never been there, and we would def. be at the pool. My boys love their slide and the pool is a big deal for them. The beds at the Mods are SO, SO much better than the beds at the Values.
But, I would def. stay at POP again, but only for 2-3 nights.

 

[Hallowishes]

it really depends. im now a seasoned disney traveller, having stayed at every category and view type imaginable!
i must say, ive enjoyed my many stays at all star music. however, i would have to say, it is MUCH farther away from MK than any other resort (however its close to AK)
ive REALLY enjoyed my time at POFQ, its nice to have the extra space as well as a fridgerator and coffee maker (u wont like me without my coffee!) also, their pool is much more interesting.