Would you put more emphasis on location/overall ambience vs. room condition??

[Mousemommy1]

I'm just trying to get what some people find more important in a resort. Is the location/overall ambience going to sway you more than perhaps a shabby or dated room?

For me, I need a great room, because that's where I lay my head each night...I wouldnt be able to be skeeved out by everything I touch in the room, even if the overall "feel" of the resort is great or the location is spectacular.

I ask because I see a lot of people post about one resort or another saying that there were definite flaws in their actual room, but they overlook that because of the other amenities...

What do you put value in when making a resort choice?

 

[ben1993]

Themeing, amenities, condition of the room, price! Location doesn't really come into it for me (in terms of WDW anyway) because you're going to be traveling to some of the parks wherever you stay, my favourite resort is AKL and that is FAR from my favourite park MK.

 

[MMS1125]

I'm with you I need a nice room to hang out in sometimes. My husband is a mod or higher type person. One bad experience in a value has ruined him although he did say he'd be willing to try AoA sometime so who knows. We almost always stay at CSR or POR which both have been refurbished recently so I'm happy there. I don't mind an older worn room as long as it's in good condition still. I don't worry about location so much. I've found the transportation in WDW to be pretty good so I don't base my choices heavily on that.

I mainly look at price. I wish I should stay at the Poly everytime we went but realistically if we continue to want to go yearly we have to be reasonable with our budget so we have to stay cheaper to go more often and I'm fine with that.

 

[*Fantasia*]

If I have the theme and location, but if the room is poorly run down or dungy then I wouldn't want to stay there. First and foremost is the room itself.

Besides a clean (refurbished and updated would be a bonus), I definitely would choose the theme first, amenities including what menu is available, location.

But most of all.. it's the room rate. If it's something I can't afford, then I don't bother to even think twice about it. I can go with the value anytime! I love the ASMovies! I love the larger than life icons! I like the loud Disney in your face theme.

 

[Pakey]

At WDW it's all about location. I don't find the amenities to be significantly better or worst to justify the huge price variations. I don't care at all about theming except I can't stand the fake Hawaii at the Poly for some reason.

Outside of WDW, I definitely choose based on amenities. I'm very fond of luxury resort stays.

 

[minnie mum]

Amenities and room condition are both very important to us. But I need a room that is clean and in good condition more than anything else.

Location doesn't play into the equation at all at WDW. As for theming, I suppose it does matter to a degree. I really dislike the gaudy theming of the values, so we stay mod (or occasionally, deluxe).

I've always been satisfied with the condition and resort amenities of the mods. I find that when we are staying deluxe, I'm much fussier about the condition of our room, given the significantly higher rates that we are paying.

 

[MinnieSummer]

I gave up on the values long ago due to the poor conditions. I have gone back and stayed in the family suites at ASMu but the last time we stayed there is was filthy so no more. POP used to be OK but it is getting pretty bad as well. We stay deluxe or Mod and I've got to say that we have only had 1 bad room experience in the 100 or more times we have gone. So yes a clean room is important to us -- especially when we book our next trip. After that it is the resort itself. My DD loves POFQ because of Elliot and the campfire. My DH and I love CSR just because it is a beautiful resort. But when we can afford it, AKL, BLT or BC win.

 

[magrudersmakes3]

We need a nice room to hang our hat. While location is nice, a clean and not run down room is important.

 

[nmmom95]

I would definitely say room condition and cleanliness.

 

[disnut8]

While I don't want my room to be a dump, I can handle a lot of stuff (and trust me, I have with non Disney rooms). I don't think I've ever had a Disney room that was in bad condition, or at least what *I* consider bad. Will there be some flaws? Of course - no room is perfect. So condition would be a point but not a huge deal.

Location means absolutely nothing to me. As long as I have a room, I don't care.

Now, what really sways me is the customer service from the Cast Members. We've stayed so many times at Pop Century and while people might not like the value aspect, I honestly get so tired of the Cast Members greeting me everywhere. I go for a walk along the lake and have someone drive by with a "hello!". The housekeepers greet you. Everyone greets you. I actually have to put myself in a good mood at some points.

THAT'S what sways me.

 

[Amy&Dan]

Theming of the resort and amenities win over location. Like others, I find location at WDW to even out since we visit all four parks, DTD and both waterparks evenly. So being close to one is only good for so many days.

I like a resort that has a lot of grounds and pools. For me that means the three larger moderates, OKW and SSR are my favorites. I would like to stay at Yacht Club one day, but I'd think I'd want to do a split stay and really focus on Epcot while I am there then switch to a mod for the rest of my trip.

As far as a shabby room, we stayed at POR just before its refurb and while our room was maybe ready for a refurb, it wasn't shabby and I was perfectly fine staying there. It was still really clean and in overal good shape. Same with CBR which is probably high up on the list of "to be refurbbed". Again, our room was still very nice and clean. I do think queen beds will be a nice and hopeful addition to CBR.

If I check into WDW resort and my room is shabby or dirty, I go right over to the front desk and speak to a manager. These day's, I'd have some pictures in my cell phone to paint a picture of what I am unhappy about. So far that hasn't happened. But I would not rule out a resort based on reviews on this board. If I did I wouldn't have enjoyed 11 great nights at CBR in March and 14 great nights at POR last June. Both of those resorts at the time I stayed there were getting very little love around this board. But I had no problems whatsoever.

 

[JerseyJanice]

At Disney, no matter what level resort we choose, I expect a clean and comfortable room. And fortunately, I have never been disappointed that way.

Resort amenities are important to me--the pool theming, water slides, hot tubs, etc. Those are big factors when deciding where to stay.

 

[KristiKat]

First and most important I need a nice, clean room. After that theme and location.

 

[danceintherain]

Even if the Grand Floridian was in my budget right now, I wouldn't stay there, because I think the room decor is hideous.

I also expect my room to be clean and well-maintained. I think it does help when rooms are recently refurbished, because new tends to feel cleaner.

In general, I choose based on theme more than anything else. I haven't stayed in a really convenient (monorail or Epcot) resort yet, so maybe I'll be a snob in that respect in the future, but I doubt it. Cost also plays a huge part in my decision. My budget for a particular trip determines which level of resort I will be staying at, which ends up determining the amenities.

I've only stayed on property at Disney twice, so I may become more picky as I've stayed in more resorts and the prices get higher.

 

[Lynn57]

Because my family is a DVC owner and I tend to travel alone, I prefer the DVC Villas. I like the interior hallways and the key access at night as a solo traveler.

After that, location really matters to me! I LOVE staying at Boardwalk or Beach Club because they are so close to two parks and I can walk to both. Although I don't love the theming at Bay Lake Towers, I loved walking to MK.

Theming doesn't really play a huge role in choosing a hotel for me. Of course cleanliness is crucial, but if there are a couple dings or issues with the paint, I don't care at all. I spend minimal time in my room anyways when in WDW.

 

[MinnieSummer]

Of course cleanliness is crucial, but if there are a couple dings or issues with the paint, I don't care at all. I spend minimal time in my room anyways when in WDW.

General wear and tear like dents and dings don't bother me either but when my little girl stomps her foot and dirt comes billowing out of the carpet I have a problem. That's one of the reasons that we stay away from the AS resorts. They are filthy and I don't understand why -- you would think that the standards of clean are the same across WDW.

I agree with whoever said they wouldn't stay at GF although our reasons are very different. In our case a holiday stay was nightmarish due to the large crowds of people that made navigating the lobby almost impossible (DM in wheelchair and couldn't even find a spot to park it). Parents were letting their kids run loose, things were getting knocked over, and the staff was overwhelmed, to the point of rudeness. We've stayed at other Deluxe resorts during the holidays and never experienced anything like it.

 

[ols386]

The niceness and cleanliness of the room would take priority over the other things, for me.

 

[ExpatDisneyLover]

Theme and ambiance for me first - definitely makes my stay a "Disney" stay rather than any other stay.

I have stayed at all level resorts and have ALWAYS has a clean, comfortable room - at least so far that is - more so than average hotel stays I would say - so I rate cleanliness up there on my list.

I am however not picky about how updated a room may be as long as it is clean. For example - I love a duvet and super soft sheets - but Disney often has bedspreads and not duvets (at AKL for example) and I wouldn't say their sheets are extraordinarily soft but comfortable. So the theme and ambiance at AKL for sure makes it worth while for me to stay there - if I wanted a super cushy bed with duvet I'd stay offsite at the Hilton or Waldorf - or better yet I make sure my bed at home is exactly as I like it and I go for the thing I can't do at home - like put giraffe in my back yard!

 

[Haley]

Well-- we are staying at BCV - got a great deal on it (work in the travel industry) and it's a 2 bedroom- during food & wine festival right close by at Epcot. We are going with my parents and toddler daughter so I really like that we have a living room, kitchen, washer/dryer...

But there are a lot of reviews that the villas at BC look worn/not updated.

So for an amazing deal, location and pool- I'm willing to overlook the room looking a little worn.

 

[Mamu]

Room condition, It got to be clean, but not only clean everything needs to be neat and organized.

When the maid comes in there's very little for her to do, so I expect to return to a very clean room.

Location also plays a big part in my choices, I love being on the monorail line, though our last trip we stayed a BWI and loved that location to. We will be returning next year and I'm undecided between Beach Club or the Yacht Club. I guess it will depend on where we get the best deal.