What makes a moderate better?

[palavra]

Last year, we spent a week at WDW and stayed on property at All Star Music. While we enjoyed it, and thought the pool areas were lovely, we all agreed that we would have been just as happy at a little nicer hotel for less money just a few miles from WDW off property. I'm tentatively planning our next trip and would really like to know if you've found a moderate to be worth the price to stay on property? I assumed we would consider a resort off property, but my Dh informed me that he really liked using the bus system and not driving. My daughter has also expressed her desire for a pool slide, so if we do stay on site, it will have to be a moderate. We might consider WL or AKL if the price were right. So, what do you think makes a moderate worth it?

 

[Donna3271]

Well, AKL is not considered a moderate. It is however a beautiful resort. As far as moderates, I love CSR. The theming and restaurant is beautiful, and it has a gym (only mod with one). I've stayed there 2 times, and IMHO, I feel like it compares to some deluxe resorts. The slide is great too. Wherever you stay on Disney Property, you can't go wrong. No bad choices. Good luck!!!

 

[MelissathePooh]

WL/AKL are in the deluxe category, lower end deluxes in some ways, but that isn't to say that they aren't wonderful resorts. For me personally I thng that the immersive theming of the moderate and deluxe resorts is wonderful. The degree to which a person or family spends time at their resort is so varied. If I was going to parks open to close I probably wouldn't care, but we spend a lot of time in our resort (we're DVC) so the nicer the better.

I think if you're looking forward to a trip that involves spending a decent amount of time at your hotel, a moderate or a deluxe might be a good option.

 

[KatMark]

Personally, we wouldn't stay off site. We don't use Disney transportation (we rent a car), but we enjoy being able to enjoy the Extra Magic Hours, Free Dining, etc. Then again, we will skip a trip if we could only afford a value. We did one back in 2000 and after three nights, we switched to a moderate (the years before 2000 we stayed at deluxes) and we have never looked back. We prefer the moderate because they are a little more spread out and they just feel more relaxed and peaceful. We like having a slide at the pool, more quiet pools, larger hot tub, more dining options. The moderate we choose to stay at has queen beds (the other moderates do not).

As in whether you stay value, moderate or deluxe or you stay on or off site it is a matter of personal preference, needs, etc.

We've not stayed a tthe WL or AKL (we've done the Contemporary and Polynesian). We hope to stay at the AKL next year or year after (the WL holds no appeal to us).

 

[terri01p]

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[skipperkim]

Last year, we spent a week at WDW and stayed on property at All Star Music. While we enjoyed it, and thought the pool areas were lovely, we all agreed that we would have been just as happy at a little nicer hotel for less money just a few miles from WDW off property. I'm tentatively planning our next trip and would really like to know if you've found a moderate to be worth the price to stay on property? I assumed we would consider a resort off property, but my Dh informed me that he really liked using the bus system and not driving. My daughter has also expressed her desire for a pool slide, so if we do stay on site, it will have to be a moderate. We might consider WL or AKL if the price were right. So, what do you think makes a moderate worth it?

I guess it all depends on how old your daughter is. Show her picks of the slides and see what she says. Keep in mind that the PO's are sister resorts so you can use the pools at both resorts. POFQ has a huge advantage over POR, it gets dropped off and picked up first. You'll always have a seat on the bus in the morning and it has its own bus stop at MK in the evening.

Mods also have fridges, hot tubs and 2 sinks (except CSR), plus a TS.

 

[Madisonsmom45]

Hi,
IMHO. POR is a beautiful resort. Moderates have a little more room than values.
And it seems you hear less from your neighbors. We find it as competitive as an off site resort if you go during value season. We wouldn't stay off site. It's not worth the hassle.

Bonnie

 

[kymom99]

I've stayed at value and moderate. I feel that mods are better for us now that our son is older. There is more room and more appeal for him (he is 11). He also likes a slide at the pool. When he was younger he loved the all stars because they are so colorful. I like that the mod buildings have courtyards, etc between them where you can wander around. There are also numerous quiet pools for a quick dip. Mods are spread out so there tends to be more walking, but it also makes them more quiet in my experience.

 

[jcriket]

I guess it all depends on how old your daughter is. Show her picks of the slides and see what she says. Keep in mind that the PO's are sister resorts so you can use the pools at both resorts. POFQ has a huge advantage over POR, it gets dropped off and picked up first. You'll always have a seat on the bus in the morning and it has its own bus stop at MK in the evening.

Mods also have fridges, hot tubs and 2 sinks (except CSR), plus a TS.

We had a problem, because of this. The bus was full when we wanted to get on at POFQ,(afternoon) and no one was getting off, they all wanted to get off POR. After 2 buses left us waiting, I guess The bus driver decided to come back and get us after he dropped off at POR. That took a while though.

 

[WDWBW09]

Last year, we spent a week at WDW and stayed on property at All Star Music. While we enjoyed it, and thought the pool areas were lovely, we all agreed that we would have been just as happy at a little nicer hotel for less money just a few miles from WDW off property. I'm tentatively planning our next trip and would really like to know if you've found a moderate to be worth the price to stay on property? I assumed we would consider a resort off property, but my Dh informed me that he really liked using the bus system and not driving. My daughter has also expressed her desire for a pool slide, so if we do stay on site, it will have to be a moderate. We might consider WL or AKL if the price were right. So, what do you think makes a moderate worth it?

Well we really choose to stay on property vs. off. It would change the experience for us. You would gain the slide and in our opinion an upgrade regarding the grounds. We always have a vehicle fly or not. Gave up on the bus system long ago.

As many have said AKL and WL are deluxe and once you stay deluxe you may never want to go back to value. That's what happened to my wife and I. We're addicted to BWI Club...Hard to stay anywhere else...Beds are just fabulous and the rooms and access are really second to none.

Goodluck with your planning!

 

[palavra]

thanks everyone,

I did know that AKL and WL were deluxes, on the lower end of the price range for deluxes. My daughter is most interested in POFQ, and I really don't think my dh cares, just as long as he doesn't have to drive.

 

[snykymom]

When you compare prices off-site, remember that this also involves a rental car (unless you were going to rent anyway), and $14 parking per day unless you have an Annual Pass. I discovered that once those expenses were added, it wasn't worth it to stay off site. And unless you're going at the most popular times (holiday weekends, Christmas-New Years week, etc.) there are often excellent discounts at all the resorts. If you're a AAA member, you can get discounts from 10-20%.

 

[missyek]

Well we have only stayed at POR and POP and the first major difference that we noticed was that POP was way busier and louder over all than POR. We stayed at POR first and it is a GREAT resort--quiet, hardly knew that there were other people staying there until we saw them at bus stops, had no idea if we had neighbors, the pool was awesome and the overall atmosphere was just serene. When we stayed at POP, there were people everywhere all the time. People were still swimming in the pools until 2 am and lots of noise outside our room. The rooms were smaller and the beds a little less comfy, but they were putting in new mattresses while we were there, so that has changed a bit. By no means did we hate our stay at POP (the only reason we were there was because we got a block of rooms for my entire family of 13), but hubby said that he would definitely only want to stay at POR or other mods in the future just so that it did not seem like we were staying at a mall the entire trip... LOL If we were a family of four, we most likely would only stay at values because of the value of them. I do recommend POP to friends looking to vacation at Disney and I do let them know the differences--for some people the busyness is not so bothersome.

 

[stacy6552]

Nothing! We've stayed at a bunch of different resorts and the mods was the only one we were disappointed by, because we didn't see the value of the extra money over a value resort. If you want to upgrade go for a deluxe.

 

[buzznina]

We had a problem, because of this. The bus was full when we wanted to get on at POFQ,(afternoon) and no one was getting off, they all wanted to get off POR. After 2 buses left us waiting, I guess The bus driver decided to come back and get us after he dropped off at POR. That took a while though.

I do not quite understand this post, I am pretty sure that if the bus is dropping off passengers, they do not pick up any, full or not
We have stayed at each level and have really enjoyed each one, but my DW and I think that the Deluxes are overpriced and we never felt like the extra $$ we spent was worth it. We like POP but with 2 little ones we need a fridge and now our oldest DD likes the pool slides, so we have become a Mod family.

 

[mjp12831]

When you compare prices off-site, remember that this also involves a rental car (unless you were going to rent anyway), and $14 parking per day unless you have an Annual Pass. I discovered that once those expenses were added, it wasn't worth it to stay off site. And unless you're going at the most popular times (holiday weekends, Christmas-New Years week, etc.) there are often excellent discounts at all the resorts. If you're a AAA member, you can get discounts from 10-20%.

I've analyzed onsite/offsite. When you consider the cost of the rental car and the parking as mentioned above, and combine with the convenience of the ME and in park transportation (no needing to drive, figure out directions), and the emh, I'd find it very difficult to stay offsite.

I believe transportation is a bit better at the moderates - isnt it the case that values more often share busses and are a bit more remote (travel time to the parks)?

 

[mickeystoontown]

We have never stayed in a value resort but have stayed at the Caribbean Beach Resort for five years in a row. The main differences are the larger rooms with a fridge, themed main pools with slides, quiet pools, marinas, covered bus stops, food courts and full service restaurants.

We plan a day to sleep in and relax at the resort simply so we can take in all of the amenities the resort has to offer. At the CBR, it feels like you are getting a beach vacation and a Disney vacation all rolled into one. We like to rent a surrey bike and take a spin around the promenade. At night, you can sit on the beach and watch the higher Epcot fireworks. If we don't want to walk to the main pool, we can swim in the quiet pool.

I like the fact that we can hop on a bus and be at any Disney theme park, water park or Downtown Disney in no time at all. Even though we drive to Disney, we don't drive anywhere. We let Disney do the driving for us!

 

[precious pixie]

thanks everyone,

I did know that AKL and WL were deluxes, on the lower end of the price range for deluxes. My daughter is most interested in POFQ, and I really don't think my dh cares, just as long as he doesn't have to drive.

I usually stay deluxe but have stayed in mods too. I enjoy POFQ the best out of them. I think the grounds are beautiful and have the best theming. Its great that its joined with POR because you can take advantage of having two differently themed pools. I also think its very relaxing to walk around the lake through both of the resorts.

 

[crazyfordisney2000]

We like the mods over value (for the 4 of us, value are fine for the 2 of us) because of the BIGGER ROOMS!!!! It just boggles my mind every time someone posts that they didn't notice much difference in the size of the rooms, because WE found that the difference in size made a HUGE difference!! We felt like we went from cramped to comfortable. Just our opinion, of course! Oh, and we loved to boat to DTD from POFQ and not having to pay for the fridge in your room.

 

[Mr_G3]

Realizing that every family situation is different, here are my thoughts on your question:

1. We considered off-property but chose not to do that. Off-property can save you money on the hotel, but not that much unless you are looking at the lower end (again, nothing wrong with that!). BUT, you can't do a dining plan, and you pay for parking at the resorts if you are driving. Beyond that, we didn't think it would seem like the "full-Disney" experience if we were off property.

2. Values were a strong draw for us, but we like to have a fridge, and they are extra-cost at the values. We have been fortunate to utilize Disney promotions/pin offers, which makes the moderate cost about the same as regular-price value. Besides, we pinch pennies all the time in the "real world", so we like to splurge a little on our Disney vacations.

3. We like the looks and themes of the moderates better, the nicer pools, the larger rooms, the extra on-property restaurant choices, etc. Each moderate seems to have its own special "extras". The mods also seem to have a more relaxed atmosphere, which is a nice contrast to our days in the parks.

We plan to stay at a value resort on our 2011 trip, especially if we don't have a special offer, because we are planning a "big" vacation in 2012. I guess we will find out if it significantly changes our perception of the value vs. moderate .