We have always stayed Deluxe..convince me the moderates are OK!

[BC]

We are going back to the world in November and also want to do a cruise this year. We have always stayed in the Deluxe resorts, but am thinking of cutting cost and going with a moderate. Which do you suggest and why?

 

[ksd1283]

We are in the same situation!! We are staying at the CSR in 12 days for 9 nights. My whole family is a lttle nervous about going to a mod. but the cost savings is fun!! I've heard that CSR is the most like a deluxe of the mod. --will let u know!

 

[Pkdcoastrs]

DO NOT! I REPEAT ! DO NOT DO IT!





All kidding aside, everything will be fine. My family prefers Pop Century over Grand Floridian, go figure. It's all in how you go into the trip, go in expecting a lot...come out dissapointed. Moderates are great, while they don't have all the ameneties (my spelling is bad today sorry :B ) they still rock.

Would Disney really make a bad hotel? In the end, how much do you spend in your room? We are there to sleep and sometimes eat, otherwise it's fun, fun, fun at the parks and such.

 

[chyam]

I know how you are feeling, for my few days in April I so wanted to stay at the WL there was nothing available.........so I booked POFQ. and up until I left I kept trying to get the WL. I have to say I was addicted to the place, but after my stay at POFQ I went ahead and made reservations for it again in Oct. The grounds were beautiful, and although it is not as convenient as being on a monorail or a boat I found it still to be manageable. For the money I will probably still continue to use POFQ and only do a deluxe for special occasions.

 

[3lilprincesses]

personally i've only stayed at GF and one night at Pop. while there is no comparing the two, i can't say we were TOTALLY disappointed in Pop, and that's a value resort. i can't wait to try a couple of the moderates. my cousin who has stayed at EVERY DELUXE AND MODERATE, as well as a couple of vacation club villas, swears that POR is the best moderate. after our next trip, which will be GF, i think we're going to try POR.

 

[DVC-Don]

We stayed in Deluxe at WDW for years, then tried a couple of Moderates in order to cut costs yet go twice a year instead of one Deluxe stay per year. After one year we bought into DVC and have not looked back.

 

[dixipixi]

We have always stayed deluxe. A few years ago, we decided to try CBR. We were really let down. I have to say that the grounds were beautiful and the pools and playgrounds were very nice. The room itself was the big let down for us. It just wasn't what we were used to at Disney.

I will say though, that it was our fault we were disappointed. We just didn't investigate the matter enough. We went expecting the same level of service, cleanliness, and hotel amenities at all Disney properties. I agree with some of the previous posters. It pays to do your homework and be well prepared on what to expect. It's not fair to show up at CBR with the same expectations you have for GF.

We hated the food court setup. It was always dirty, spilled drinks, etc. I will say that we always saw employees working and trying to keep up...it just seemed an impossible task.

Maybe it was because we were used to deluxes. Ever since then, I have been wary of staying anywhere other than a deluxe. When it's not financially possible for us to stay deluxe...we usually stay offsite. But we're the kind of people who like to have some time during our trip to lounge around the hotel. We don't look at it as just a place to sleep, so it's probably more important to us than most people.

Hope you have wonderful trip!

 

[susy]

I have stayed at CBR, CSR, and POFQ. I suggest CSR. It is more upscale and really has a deluxe feel to it. They recently have an internal shuttle service.The rooms are smaller than a deluxe and the beds are full beds. No balconies, but the upside to this is you don't have to worry about being disappointed in a view. Room amenities are coffeemaker, iron, hairdryer, limited room service. When we stayed here mousekeeping was EXCELLENT. Plenty of drawer space and storage. With the fantastic pool area, I doubt you will be in the room that much. Each area has a quiet pool as well. The Pepper Market is wonderful, as is the Maya Grill. There are also food items at the pool bar. We paid $109 here in March 2003 (a FL res rate) and thought it was a STEAL!!!!!!
We were just coming off a trip at AKL (which we loved) and still couldn't stop raving about how great CSR was! We will be at the Poly in two weeks, but our next trip will be at CSR! It's a great alternative to a deluxe when you need it!

 

[ptrbryant]

We've always stayed at WL and VWL...this year, with the lack of codes which we'd always had in the past and no standard rooms available, I just couldn't bring myself to pay $240+ for a room there per night. I love the whole atmosphere--why doesn't love the lobby and pool?--but I just do not feel the actual room is worth that kind of price. We're a family who really wants to have clean, attractive rooms and beautiful grounds---we rarely use the services at a Deluxe (i.e. bell services, room service, etc.)

So! This year we are going to split our stay with 4 nts. at a studio at Saratoga Spings ($120 per night and no tax) and 3 nts. at POR ($140/nt. inc. tax). There's only one thing about MODs that we didn't like when we looked at them before and that was the exterior hallways---our only experience with them is an image of interstate motels we've passed. Thankfully, with enough online photos of POR, I believe it will NOT seem like a motel and the fact that all the rooms have been recently refurbished is a huge help.

When we get back, I'll make sure to let everyone know what it's like going from Deluxe to MOD. I should also note that we've never stayed at any of the Deluxes with BIG guestrooms, so I don't think the room size will seem like a big let down.

Karla B.

 

[Trinity721]

We have stayed at Contemporary once, and CSR once. I definitely liked CSR better, even though I missed the convenience of the monorail. But I preferred the theming and everything CSR had to offer. The busses at CSR are quite efficient and on time, so we never had a transportation problem. In the future I would like to stay at AKL or Poly, but right now I just can't justify spending that much money when I can stay on Disney property for less and for accommodations that are almost as good, just a little less 'glamorous' i guess is the closest word for what i mean.

I think the best way to approach it is to do your homework to see which one best fits your needs and preferences. The DIS is a great resource for doing that good luck!

 

[Figment2]

Moderates = double beds
Deluxe = queen beds

Friends and I stayed at a moderate a couple of years ago (it was included in a special event we were attending). We are close but double beds were just too cozy. We are used to DVC accomodations.

Other than the bed problem, they are very nice.

Cyn

 

[EthansMom]

I've stayed at both POR and POFQ and enjoyed both. As much as we would love to try staying at a Delux, we've never wanted to spend the extra money on it.

Regarding POR and POFQ, both were lovely, but we prefer the themeing of POFQ, the adorable pool, the charming courtyard gardens, the fountain in the lobby and how quiet it is! However, POR has the docks with boat rental and a sit-down restaurant. We loved walking from POFQ to go to dinner at Boatwright's at POR and taking the boat from POFQ to Downtown Disney for dinner also -- very scenic.

Enjoy your trip!

 

[gm]

We had only stayed at Deluxe resorts until last year when we stayed at CSR our last 4 nights.

It is a very nice resort in itself. Yes, the beds are full and not queen but that is one of the reasons it being a moderate. It is a very large resort but very beautiful at night. The food court is wonderful and unique. The rooms are clean and okay. The pool is area is fun also with a great bar and place to get fast food like hot dogs, etc.


Have fun

 

[sanibelover]

Just make sure you aren't trying to compare the two. The moderates are hotels, not resorts. There is nothing going on, and once you are inside your room, it's kind of like a box. You cannot leave the curtains open unless you are an exhibitionist, so it's a little depressing IMO.

You get what you pay for, although I don't think the level of service at Disney deluxes is comparable to other deluxe resorts in the industry, but that is another topic...........

The one thing the modereates have going for them is that most of the time you can park A LOT closer to your room than at the deluxes.

It sounds like you might already have yourself convinced that a stay at the moderates is not something you really want to do. That may be a self-fulfilling prophecy.........

 

[TooBoyz4us]

Last Sept was our first stay at a Deluxe after always staying in the moderates. It just so happened to be during hurricane Jeanne. Since we were literally captives in our resort for one full day and night, I sure was glad that we were at WL so that we could at least go down to the lobby and restaurants. I could not have imagined being in a mod or value and being confined to the room that entire time.WL was absolutely wonderful to us, and our experience was so wonderful that DH will not ever stay anywhere else.

Having said that though, in our mod experiences, we LOVED CSR the best!!!
The bus service was superb, and the grounds were gorgeous. And, it has my kids favorite pool area!!

 

[DisneyJen0504]

Have not been able to stay at a deluxe yet but as a moderate fan-I would say you will be fine! We love CSR!! At CSR you have beautiful grounds and theming, great pools, the best food court, a gym and spa....highly recommend CSR!

 

[DAWGPOUNDAJ]

To put it lightly, I've stayed in the Polynesian on several occassions, and at the GF once, and the CBR still holds my heart, even though I stayed there after staying at the GF and Poly.

To me the ambiance of the Caribbean atmosphere will always be better than the induced artificiality of the GF. It's more laid back, more sunny because your door opens right outside, and what could be better than walking to the food court OUTSIDE at a moderate, rather than through stuffy (though very nicely decorated) hallways INSIDE a deluxe?

To me Disney is about being outside, yet relaxing and having fun. I LOVE the moderates, all 3 that I have stayed at, at least, and the only reason we are trying out a deluxe for half of our honeymoon is because DH and I are insane animal lovers! (AKA The AKL is where well be after our stay at the CBR).

Moderates are wonderful, they have many ammenities that a deluxe has, like watercraft rentals, jogging paths, game rooms, AND they have something deluxes lack.

A REAL FOOD COURT!

I'm sorry, but Deluxe food courts are not very good. At least not in comparison to the moderate and value food courts, and I like to get up and GO when at WDW, and the moderate food courts allow me to do that, with a better selection, a lot quicker than the deluxe food courts would (because they have more limited selections).

So do you want to be able to go everywhere quickly in the morning, with a nice selection of food, AND save money? Then go with a Moderate! You can always go to restaurants for sit down meals at other resorts if that is important to you.

ALSO, think of ALL the fun activities you will have money to do now, if you save money by staying moderate.

Aqua Seas Tours, Surfing at Typhoon Lagoon, Dolphins in Depth, possibly Discovery Cove....

To me the chance to do more of those is by far worht the money saved from staying at a moderate. Plus, extra souvenir money! Have a good one!

 

[palmtreegirl]

Stay deluxe. Even though we hardly ever use our balcony I still missed it terribly when we stayed moderate. Same goes with the closed closet, that bar in the corner of the room just isn't a closet to me.

How about staying at the AKL or WL, they're both a lot cheaper then the other deluxes.

 

[Queen Be]

To put it lightly, I've stayed in the Polynesian on several occassions, and at the GF once, and the CBR still holds my heart, even though I stayed there after staying at the GF and Poly.QUOTE]

Oh, I find this to be a VERY encouraging statement! We have stayed at WL, Contemporary, and last time Poly LVC, but for our next trip in June we need 2 rooms (mom, dad, 4 kids, and a grandmother) so we selected the CBR. I have been nervous about the change from deluxe to moderate, so this thread has helped ease my jitters a bit - thanks!

Course it has also been informative...the moderates have no closets???? I missed this tidbit in my research, but good to know.

 

[susy]

The mods do have surrey bikes, boats, etc. There is stuff to do besides the pool.