Will I hate Value Resorts? Which one should we try?

[Leelo]

Looking to save some money. We have stayed at Deluxe (Poly- LOVED IT) and Moderate (POFQ-not impressed) and I am thinking of trying a Value for fun to save some money and try something new.

BUT I am a little nervous about it since I thought POFQ was disappointing and will not stay there again. There was practically no theming in the room at all, felt very outdated, and I did not think it was worth $230 a night.

Generally, we are fine at any hotel that is clean and feels updated. The price per night at the values is on par with what I am looking for. Any suggestions on where we might like to stay? Or will I just be completely unimpressed with all of them?

 

[MinnieWebster]

We almost always stay in a Value resort when we stay on property. Either Pop Century or All Star Sports. We really like Pop, but it's usually a little more than the other value resorts. All Star Sports is our pick of the All Star Resorts, mainly because when buses are shared between all three resorts, Sports is the first stop.
One thing to keep in mind though, we rarely use the room except to sleep and shower. We are typically at the parks from open to close, and we use restaurants and shows for breaks during the day to get out of the heat for a bit. Our most recent trip last week, we were at AS Sports for 9 nights. The room was really nice, clean.

 

[marauder]

Stayed at both Pop and All-Star Movies. Of the two prefer Pop. Less worn down and don't share the bus lines with any other hotels. All-Stars share the bus lines with all 3 All-Stars.

Just be prepared for smaller rooms then both the Deluxe and Moderate and more people.

 

[loves to dive]

Pop is in the middle of upgrading their rooms so they will be cleaner and fresher than any of the other value resorts. Think of Motel 6 on steriods with the values. The public spaces tend to be a little more crowded than the moderate and they don't have quiet pools. They tend to have more kids and are very family friendly. If you want Disney theming, you are going to get that at the values although not as in your face in the rooms as the grounds are. They aren't my cup of tea, we tend to do split stays with a night or two at a moderate then move over to an Epcot deluxe but if I were going to be in the parks all day and not intending to spend much time in the room or at the resort, I'd probably stay at a value.

 

[MrsDuck]

Given your preferences, I'd pick POP or the Little Mermaid rooms at AOA.

 

[Shanti]

Looking to save some money. We have stayed at Deluxe (Poly- LOVED IT) and Moderate (POFQ-not impressed) and I am thinking of trying a Value for fun to save some money and try something new.

BUT I am a little nervous about it since I thought POFQ was disappointing and will not stay there again. There was practically no theming in the room at all, felt very outdated, and I did not think it was worth $230 a night.

Generally, we are fine at any hotel that is clean and feels updated. The price per night at the values is on par with what I am looking for. Any suggestions on where we might like to stay? Or will I just be completely unimpressed with all of them?

If you were unimpressed with POFQ, you will likely be unimpressed with any value. We usually stay deluxe, but stayed value (Pop Century) during the one trip where I wasn't the one footing the bill. We were unimpressed with the room (the value rooms are like motel rooms, and except for AOA the rooms have very little theming), but it was clean and we had no problems with it during our trip. The rest of Pop Century is nice: the oversized sculptures were neat, it had nice landscaping, the pools looked pleasant (no hot tubs or waterslides, though), the lobby & gift shop areas were bright and inviting, and the bus service was good.

In fact, it was one of our best WDW trips, but not because of the resort. The resort certainly didn't ruin our trip, though. We just rarely spent any time in the room. If your trip will mostly be on the go, a value should be fine for you. But if you plan to spend a lot of down time at the resort, and even a Disney moderate was not up to your standard, then I recommend either spending more for a higher category or staying at a nice but more reasonably priced hotel offsite.

 

[Colleen27]

We like Pop best of the ones we've tried (all but ASMo and AoA). It is compact and well laid out, doesn't share buses, and has a fun, colorful these.

I worried too that I'd have a hard time adjusting to a value after staying only mod and deluxe but I've found that moving between the tiers only makes sense depending on the trip, our travel party, the budget, and other specifics of our plans.

 

[kreckl]

We've stayed at values for a night here and there, but never for a whole trip. Great for a night. The pool were nuts- at all hours. There seemed to be little/no supervision near the pools which meant lots of screaming and running, even at ten at night. So ask for a quiet room if that would bother you, and your room will be in the back, away from the pool. We tend to spend a lot of time at our resorts, and I would not stay at a value for an entire trip.

 

[Wild4Walt]

The Poly and the Pop are night and day. Pop recently had some updates so that's on the plus side. The rooms are significantly small at all the Values in comparison to the Poly as well as the other deluxe resorts. If you thought POFQ had little theme, then I would think you would be disappointed in the Values. I'd take a look at some of the videos of the rooms prior to booking.

 

[mkh531]

I haven't stayed at a value but if you are used to deluxe keep in mind the time of year you will be staying. Deluxes are the only hotels with interior hallways. I visited a value resort in August for a rehearsal and walking in the heat just to get to the food court was a killer. In, say, October this would be less of a concern.

 

[jdh008]

I'll echo what some others have said here and say that it really depends on what you're looking for in a resort. If this trip is going to be one dominated by commando-style touring from rope drop until park closing (or something like it), I don't think you'll be disappointed, particularly with Pop. I just got back from a split-stay trip with six nights at Pop, and while it doesn't feature many extra bells and whistles, the rooms were very clean, mousekeeping did a fantastic job throughout the stay, the grounds were well kept, and the food court area was organized and well-run, even during those times when they got swamped, like first thing in the morning or when everyone comes back right around park closing.

You mention that you've enjoyed the Poly, though, and if a big part of that enjoyment was down time spent at the resort walking around the grounds, eating at the restaurants on site, or taking advantage of the many amenities at your disposal there, Pop won't offer you much in the way of those things. The second half of the split split stay I alluded to earlier was at AKL, and we really enjoyed walking around the resort when the weather cooled off in the evening, watching the animals on the savannah, or sitting in the lounges and having a drink. It was the second half of our trip, though, so we were at a point where we'd gotten most everything done in the parks and we were looking to take it a bit easier over the final few days.

 

[Bob Dolewhip]

I think it depends on what you are looking for in a h/motel.
Clean place to shower and sleep? Or a resort you can enjoy as its own attraction?
I have not stayed at a value... the rest of my family did once. They were at an all star sports and when we met them there I decided it wasn't for me. I think there was some sort of tournament going on with many school groups. Too loud, too busy, too many teenagers, and the rooms were just eh.

Now I will take my cane and go back to my rocker so I can yell at some kids to stay off my lawn.

 

[tannerandcatesmom]

The biggest difference we noticed between valuesvand moderates was the size of the beds. Mods have queen size and values have double beds. Pop's renovated rooms have queens but you cannot request a new room. My hubby and I loved Pop when we were there without the kids. With 2 teenagers we could not deal with dbl beds, so will stay mod or deluxe next family trip.

Have a great trip!

 

[ColoradoMom12]

Pop's renovated rooms have queens but you cannot request a new room.

A refurbished room is not a choice from the online check-in options, but it is very possible to request one via phone, fax (your own or using Touring Plans), or in person at the check-in desk. Many people on this board have requested and received refurbished rooms. No one is guaranteed to get one, though.

 

[sky13]

I'm currently staying at Pop and I'm really loving the refurb room I have. It's clean, updated, modern (USB ports everywhere!). I stayed at BC/BCV last year and for the price difference I would happily take Pop anytime, even more so now with the updated rooms!

Also - if you do not need two beds, you can keep the pull down bed up in the refurb Pop rooms and have a nice large table instead. With this configuration, I actually feel like I have MORE space in the room than I did last year at BC/BCV because there is a lot of floor area that suddenly becomes available.

 

[MandyLovesMulan]

When people mention "noisy " rooms... are they always noisy, or just until 10pm when kids should be in bed and older people respectful of other's sleep?

Staying in value resort just for a place to sleep while being at parks all day... will they be quiet at night, or do I have to request a non-preferred room if we want to sleep?

 

[Marionnette]

When people mention "noisy " rooms... are they always noisy, or just until 10pm when kids should be in bed and older people respectful of other's sleep?

Staying in value resort just for a place to sleep while being at parks all day... will they be quiet at night, or do I have to request a non-preferred room if we want to sleep?

They can be noisy at any time of the day or night. The soundproofing is not good at the Value Resorts. You can hear every flush from your neighbor or the room above. A cranky baby, couple arguing, all-night television, early risers, etc. in the room next door (especially if there is a connecting door). Mousekeeping and maintenance workers arriving at 5 or 6 AM to start their day. The pool is not the only source of noise distractions.

OP - Think about why you LOVED the Poly and were not impressed with POFQ. If your greatest disappointment was that there was very little theming in the room, get used to it. Disney's latest trend has been to go with very generic, sterile room designs when they renovate. The grounds of each resort will maintain their unique appearance but the rooms are beginning to look the same as any Comfort Inn or Hilton.

However, if you loved walking the lush walkways of Poly, grabbing a relaxing drink at Trader Sam's or being able to travel via boat, bus or monorail then any Value Resort is going to be a big let down. If you just want a clean, safe place on property to rest your head after a long day in the parks, the Value Resorts will fit the bill.

 

[EdmondD]

If you're going value, go with AoA Little Mermaid rooms, as @MrsDuck said. Just note - this is the only section of the hotel with standard/non-suite/value-priced rooms. And they fill up quick. But this place is almost like a moderate, in my opinion, with its theming and beauty.

 

[Tigger's ally]

We have stayed all levels and are returning end of the month for F&W and staying value, but the way you phrased your question, I would recommend shortening the trip and staying deluxe. If you didn't like POFQ, then you won't like the values. Just a hunch.

 

[SaintsManiac]

Personally, I liked POP more than POR and that was before they started renovating the rooms.