Value vs. The Whole Shebang

[Bo3b]

Ok, weird subject line I know, but I couldn't think what else to title this. *lol*

First, thanks to everyone on the board and via email who's helped us over the past couple of weeks! You guys are so great!!!

Now...here's the meat of the thread...tell me what you guys think.

My wife and I spent our honeymoon in 1998 at WDW, winding up at the BWV in a one-bedroom suite. Talk about the lap of luxury! We have always been "hotel snobs" and tend to spend a little extra money to be comfortable. However, we know the value of a dollar, and believe me...there are some nice Motel 6s' out there. We're not going to spend $300 a night during a road trip, obviously. But we've stayed at some great places all over the world - suites in Atlantic City, Chicago, Las Vegas, etc....and nothing was quite as great as WDW's BWV.

So here's the thing. We're going to be back at WDW for 6 days in March, kind of a last minute thing, and we really don't feel like spending 3-5 grand to stay in the lap of luxury this time around, so our plan was to stay at one of the Moderates, most likely POFQ or POR. As I've been researching, one thing is just a little bit odd. I've looked at every possible photo slide show of rooms and amenities, read every review I could find, and here's what struck me:

I don't think the rooms are any nicer at the Moderates than they are at the Values.

I mean, some of the decor and layouts are worse even....having a kind of cheap motel look to them, even more so than say Pop Century. Even more amazing, I'm not sure I can see much difference in the standard rooms of the Deluxe resorts. (Now, keep in mind, this is ALL from photographs. The only experience I have staying at WDW is that amazing suite we had the last time around.)

So now, the "value of a dollar" side of me chimes in. Am I REALLY going to have that much better of a time at the Moderates, or even the standard rooms at the Deluxe, when I can get a pretty nice room at one of the Value resorts and spend my money elsewhere. My thinking is that aside from Valet Parking (which I am a fiend for - one of my weaknesses), which I can't get at the Moderates anyway, is it really worth almost 3-4x as much money to stay at a Moderate??? The only bad things I've really read about the Values is that sometimes there's some noise (no big deal to us), there's longer lines at check in/out, and sometimes I have to wait for a bus a little longer. I'm hopefully not going to be spending THAT much time in my room anyway! *heh*

I'm probably being reduntant when I'm asking, is it really worth it to spend "a little" more money when what I really want to do is spend "a lot" more money, but can't/don't want to. *ROFL*

OK, I hope this post makes sense to people and that I don't sound like a total loon. I can't believe I've spent this much time planning and thinking about this trip as it is!!! I'm just so excited, like everyone, I want to have the best possible time for my money.

Ok, done. Thoughts anyone??

Thanks,
Bob

 

[Disneycrazymom]

I am like you. We have either gone for the whole Deluxe or the All Stars. I never have been able to pay the extra for a mod. Whenever I consider one I end up deciding to go to the Swan. Being a teacher I can get a really nice discount at the Swan that puts the cost too close to the cost of a mod. I think you should decide by how much park time you will have on the trip. If you really will only be in the room to sleep and shower go with the value, it will be fine. If you want down time at the resort try a mod or the Swan.

 

[Maude4Disney]

Well, we haven't stayed deluxe...yet, so I can't draw that into the equation, but as far as differences in the mods and values... the rooms are a bit bigger, but not that noticeable, at least to our family. The difference in price though takes into account the mods have pool slides, bike and boat rentals, and sit down resteraunts (except POFQ). POR & POFQ also have the boat service to DTD. I guess if you plan on using those things it might be worth the extra $$, if not I'd go w/ a value.

 

[goofy4tink]

I've stayed at all levels. We own at BWV and when I don't want to use those pricey week-end points, I'll book an AllStar room. I love POR. It was my first WDW resort back when it was DxL. But, for the amount of time we spend in our rooms, I'll take a value. Dd does love the pool slides and she misses those at the values. The rooms are a tad bit smaller and have only one sink but for the money I save..well, that's the way to go for us.

The boat to DTD is nice. We enjoyed it a lot. I love the theming of POR. It's very romantic. And it just never seems to be very crowded. The values on the other hand aren't as adult in theming but I liked it. We stayed in Music last year. It was one of the quietest rooms we've ever had and we were there with the cheerleaders/football players. The check-in line wasn't bad at all. Much better than at the Polynesian. And the food court kept me happily fed for 6 days. Yep, we like the values. They allow us to spend more money on good food more often!!

 

[debbiedana]

Two years ago we stayed at the Polynesian in the Concierge building. Last year we stayed at Pop Century. I am leaving tomorrow and staying at Pop Century again. I haven't stayed in a moderate so I can't help you there BUT...

The bus service at Pop Century was BETTER than the Polynesian. We never waited more than five minutes at Pop. We often waited 15-20 minutes at the Polynesian and had to share bus service with GF and the CR.

Also, I didn't have a problem with noise at either resort.

And lastly, the line to check into Pop (25 mins) was much longer than the Polynesian (10 mins).

Hope this helps. You'll have fun no matter where you stay.

 

[speedyf]

I've only stayed at Pop Century once and have never stayed anywhere else...so, I'll give you my opinion anyway...lol. We loved Pop, but we will either be going moderate or deluxe this time around.

Here are a few differences that I've noticed:

Values run about 260 sq feet and Moderates run about 315 sq feet. Probably not much of a difference to really notice. Maybe extra luggage room....

Values have 1 sink....Moderates have 2.

The moderates are supposed to be getting coffee makers and small refrigerators standard in each room. (Don't know if all moderates have this yet). Values charge you an extra $10 for a fridge if you want one...don't know about the coffee maker.

Moderates have a sit down restaurant...values just have the food court.

Moderates all have water activities (boat rentals, etc)....values don't.

Moderates have slides on the pools.....values don't.

That's about all I can think of right now....we want to try the moderate basically for my 5 year old and the pool slide. We went with him to Typhoon Lagoon last year and I felt like it was a wasted day because he didn't do much more than swim and go on the kiddie waterslide. We could do that for free at the hotel if the pool has a slide and have an extra day for the main parks.

I'm not trying to persuade you one way or the other...just throwing out some facts to help you out.....

Last year....the general public had a code for $94 Moderate and $74 Value from April to July. I think Disney Visa also had a code for $69 Value and $89 Moderate....I'm hoping for the same this year.....

As for the bus service....it was good at Pop. Not much waiting. Also...we checked in at about 5pm on a Saturday and had no waiting....so, I guess it all depends on when you check in.

speed

 

[Abba98]

Well,let's see,I'm pretty tired from being up at 5:30am this morning,but think I have an idea.Instead of paying low prices for budget places or high places for deluxe,have you considered renting a DVC member's points,and getting something pretty good for not too much money...You can get a nice studio at OKW for a pretty good rate when you rent member's points,and they have a kitchenette,and are quite nice!
Have a look on the rent/Trade board,I recently purchased enough points there for 12 nites for a good price!
Any questions,PM me!
Take care,and have a great time,
Kirsten

 

[magsmom]

I have never stayed at a value, but for the $ I LOVED POFQ. Don't get me wrong, I love every place that I have stayed, but for the price we paid last August ($89 for mod, $69 for a value) I think that in general a moderate is worth the extra $ over a value, especially if you use the ameneties (pool, food).

The resort is small and newly renovated. Rooms were very nice ... Having just stayed in WL concierge I thought I was going to be disappointed - I was not. The resort exceeded my expectations.

Deluxe resorts, well, they are different. You pay for the theme, location, and service. Those things are important to me as well and I will pay for those ameneties on occasion, usually on longer vacations.

Home away from home resorts are nice, too. And yes, depending on when you go you can get a good price on the rent and trade boards (once you put out the initial cash outlay a week is even more reasonable for a DVC member).

 

[We Luv Diznee World]

Back in 1995 we stayed at the Dixie Landings, and we loved it. Our son was 5 at the time, and we probably didn't even make use of all of the extra ammenities, such as the marina or the boat to DTD. Since that trip, we have stayed at the AS Movies twice and the AS Music twice. The most recent time was November 2004 at the Music. We had a great location, 2nd room from the food court, but the bus service was just ridiculous, and our mousekeeping was less than adequate. This is why we are planning on staying at the POFQ this year. Also the fact that our son is older now, and I know the room isn't that much bigger, but it is bigger. We also like to rent watermice, so the marina is a plus.
All in all, it depends on your preferences. If you don't think you will miss or use the extra services, it would not be worth the extra cash.
Hope this helps.

 

[Bo3b]

I have never stayed at a value, but for the $ I LOVED POFQ. Don't get me wrong, I love every place that I have stayed, but for the price we paid last August ($89 for mod, $69 for a value) I think that in general a moderate is worth the extra $ over a value, especially if you use the ameneties (pool, food).

Well, there's the rub, right? At those prices, I wouldn't have even hesitated for a second. But, time is short, and the best I can find is a little over $130 a night, plus our AAA discount. But yes, for that price, I agree with you 100%. If I can find a price like that, I'm SO there.

All in all, it depends on your preferences. If you don't think you will miss or use the extra services, it would not be worth the extra cash.
Hope this helps.

Your reply (like all the others here) was helpful. But I think my problem is that because I like things REALLY nice and love it when people REALLY smooch me up, that I might just be disapointed that I'm not at the AKL Concierge or somewhere amazing like that. *lol*

 

[Poohbear123]

Its VALUE VALUE VALUE! I go quite often, so I mainly stay at POP! That is my Hotel of Choice now. I have stayed at CBR and Coronado Springs, but find them to be TOO BIG! SO, its POP for me!

 

[dmonroe]

Ok, I consider myself kind of a hotel snob too! That said, we stayed one night (we were arriving late inthe day and didn't want to pay for that night at BWI) at ASMo. I gotta tell ya, I hated it! There was no way I could have spent more than one night there. I told dh that if that were the only place we could stay, I would stay off property (which I NEVER do if I can help it!) Our room was tiny, the bathrooms were icky IMHO--hate those dispensers! The whole place just looked like a glorified Motel 6 to me! Now, we did a spur of the moment trip in Dec '03 and stayed at POR. We loved it! We stayed in the mansions, and felt that the property definitely had a "deluxe" feel to it. If I had to go back and pick a mod, I would stay there again.

If you are really into the deluxes, like the pampering and perks, I honestly don't know if you'll be happy in a value. Hey! I wasn't and my friends don't call me princess for nothing! LOL You really might want to look into renting DVC points. Depending on the time of year, you could get a 1 BDR for 5 nights (sun-thu) for probably around $1000. Our friends did BWV last Dec. for 5 night for $800. Not a bad deal!!!

Good luck with your planning-Dana

 

[polkadotminnie]

I noticed a huge difference between CSR and the values, but not much between POFQ and the values. CSR was so much more like a deluxe to me. I great value!!! I have also stayed at POLY and AKL. I will go back to AKL sometime, but this trip it is back to the values so I can save money for St. John.

 

[MariettaC]

I'm not a hotel snob but I do enjoy nice things. I've stayed in AKL, Dixie Landings, All Star Movies, Sports and Pop Century. Our upcoming trip is planned for CBR. The truth is I have never been disappointed in any of the above. I do think AKL is my favorite but I'm willing to try the others.

 

[susy]

Here's the thing-you have to be realistic. March is peak season, so you will be paying a high price for the values (relatively). POP is DEFINITELY nicer than the AS. When they built it, they took guest comments into consideration. I thought the rooms were very nice. How many people are going? If it is you and your wife, you'll be fine. My DH and I sleep in separate beds at Disney. Why squish into one bed when there's another one right there? The food court is great for breakfast and snacks. I would eat my sit-down dinners at the parks. We had great bus service at POP.
There isn't a lot of "fluff" at this hotel, but LOTS of itneresting detail everywhere you look.

I think you should throw caution to the wind, book POP, and think of it as an adventure....

 

[stemikger]

I would go with Pop. I stayed at the moderates and I prefer Pop Century over the others. Even if they were the same price, I would still go with Pop. I really connected with this resort and it made for a really nice 10 day trip with my wife and daughter.

Good luck, and have fun.

 

[HopperFan]

We have stayed at a variety of levels and yes, I do think there is a difference not only in service/amenities (speedyf covered that well), but in atmosphere and in the rooms.

Maybe pictures don't show you as well. I don't know that you can tell the difference in the room sizes but certainly in the furnishings and bathrooms. Value is bare bones furniture, smaller bath area and the table/chair is tiny.

Now we just had a good trip to ASMo and will return there for a similar style trip - 3 nights/marathon weekend. The room had just been refurbished and was very fresh. I don't want to sound like a snob, but it was different in many ways from our other experiences. It was perfectly fine for the short trip.

What struck me in your message is the number of days you are going for. I would not want to be in a value that long. I know I would be spending some hotel time and I would want it more pleasurable and relaxing. Just my personal preference...........

 

[robinb]

Bob, first of all ...

Welcome to the DIS!!!​

I have stayed at all levels of Disney resorts ... including a 1 bedroom at BWV and the 2500+ square foot 3 bedroom Grand Villa at OKW. I have no problem staying at the value resorts. I find them very comfortable with great bus service and fantastic food courts. Pop Century is my favorite of the Values. However ... I don't think I would want to stay at a value resort for 6 nights. Why? I like bigger rooms. I like nicer pools. I like having a pool slide and a hot tub. I like having soap and shampoo in the shower instead of health-club-like dispensers. I like having a refrigerator in the room. Value resorts do not offer any of those things.

One of the things I also like in a Disney resort is a place to get a quick meal. I tend to go-go-go and then come back to my room hungry. The food courts at the Values and Moderates fit that bill perfectly and all Deluxe resorts except for Yacht and Beach Club and Boardwalk have at least a "snack shop". Don't get me wrong, I love the Y&BC but the lack of a snack shop will make it less likely that I stay there. I own DVC points at BWV, so I have to stay there .

The deluxes are very nice. They are on a grand scale. Big lobbys, big rooms, concierge service, valet parking, room service and location, location, location. If you want to be on the monorail ... Deluxe resort. If you want to walk to Epcot and MGM ... Deluxe resort. If you want to see animals from your balcony ... Deluxe resort. If you really want to be sucked up to ... Deluxe Resort Concierge . However, don't expect to be sucked up to if you don't book concierge. I have found the CMs to be the same from one resort to another, no matter what level I was staying.

I personally think you would be perfectly happy at one of the Moderate Resorts. Port Orleans French Quarter is a wonderful, intimate, "grown up" resort. CSR is more spread out, but also (IMO) a better resort for a couple than CBR and PO-R.

One more thing, are you aware of www.mousesavers.com? There are many discount codes available thoughout the year. Check there and you may be able to cut yor costs.

Good luck!

 

[henrylovespooh]

I've stayed at the Poly, Swan, CSR and WL. We booked a spur of the moment trip to WDW for a week in late February/early March, and it would have been at least $450 more to stay at a moderate than at AS Movies. My kids are 2 and 3, so I think they will like it, and to me, a moderate just isn't worth the difference. I'd rather spend the money elsewhere. I like a nice hotel, but I also know that when I'm at Disney, I only sleep in it.

 

[zipDdoodah]

I know how I am personally, and after staying at WL for 2 trips, we had a really hard time downgrading to a moderate even though CSR was nice. If you truly enjoy luxury, and you're gonna be there for 6 nights, I would go for a deluxe. Maybe you could do WL or AKL since they are cheaper for Deluxes. I would just hate to get there and be disappointed all week. To me the resort is a big part of the feeling you get from the whole trip, and if I can afford it I always choose Deluxe.