Currently booked at Pop Century, are the Disney Springs hotels just as good?

[MisterPenguin]

Cheaper (even when adding in the cost of the Ubers)

Really? Each Uber trip with tip is about $10. Going both ways is $20 a day. Add in a $25/day resort fee and the 'cheap' $80 room is now $125.

 

[Robbiem]

I haven’t stayed at Disney springs for a long time but when we stayed in the grosvenor in the 90s and they removed the Disney buses we sometimes used to walk to the marketplace and take a bus to a resort and go from there to the parks. It was nice walking from the contemporary or taking the boat from the Polynesian to the magic kingdom or walking to EPCOT or MGM from the swan or yacht club and no slower than waiting for a bus at the hotel

 

[slappy magoo]

Something else to consider is when you check availability and pricing for Disney Springs Hotels, the initial rate quoted looks cheaper; however, once you kick in resort fees, parking fees, and taxes, you are paying as much or more as you would at a Disney Value Resort. This happened to me. Plus, if you drive, traffic congestion in the DS area is unbearable and bumper to bumper between about 10 am and 10 pm. The bus transportation, while the buses are nice, often pick up multiple hotels and only run every 30 minutes by the clock. As I stated in a prior post, if you are have been waiting for 30 minutes and are unlucky to not get to the next bus before it fills up, you'll be waiting another 30 minutes.

Stay at POP or an All Star. The conveniences are worth it. Plus, you will want to take advantage of Extra Magic Hours.

I often see the Disney bus system being used as justification for paying the eye watering premium to stay in a Disney hotel, but staying in a Disney Springs hotel and getting around with Uber or Lyft can be a far better and cheaper experience. Yeah it's a free bus vs a $10 cab, but you're paying $75 extra for it that bus doesn't seem so free, especially as it's slower, more crowded, and won't take you door to door.

If you have young kids in your party, then there is something to be said for Pop or Animation because of the decor, but for a party of budget-conscious adults, DS+Uber seems a much better option to me. You'll save time, be in nicer rooms, and have to do far less walking.

Pros of AoA/Pop:
Themed decor and statues, Cast Members

Pros of Disney Springs hotels instead:
Cheaper (even when adding in the cost of the Ubers)
Quicker to get to parks (an on demand cab will always be faster than waiting for a crowded bus, and no waiting at the end of the night)
Nicer/larger rooms
Smaller hotels so less trekking miles to your room from the lobby
All of Disney Springs easily accessible

Really? Each Uber trip with tip is about $10. Going both ways is $20 a day. Add in a $25/day resort fee and the 'cheap' $80 room is now $125.

Some valid points here. It is important to make sure you know what every fee will be before deciding if any hotel is worth it.

However, if once you include all resort fees and parking fees and taxes, your Disney Springs hotel is comparable in price to a Value...that Disney Springs resort might still be worth it, if you're getting a larger room, bigger beds, more amenities, sitdown restaurants onsite, etc.

And yes, if you opt to cab or Uber from a resort, you have to assume an extra $20 or so out of pocket every day. But if you're not staying at a Disney resort, then you'll have to pay for theme park parking which is $22 anyway. And if you're staying onsite, you don't have to pay for theme park parking but you DO have to pay for resort parking. I think some Disney Springs resorts waive parking fees, or at least some of them have promotional offers at times where the fee is waived so the concern of paying extra for that Uber or cab might wind up becoming a moot point.

 

[BrerJon]

And yes, if you opt to cab or Uber from a resort, you have to assume an extra $20 or so out of pocket every day. But if you're not staying at a Disney resort, then you'll have to pay for theme park parking which is $22 anyway. And if you're staying onsite, you don't have to pay for theme park parking but you DO have to pay for resort parking. I think some Disney Springs resorts waive parking fees, or at least some of them have promotional offers at times where the fee is waived so the concern of paying extra for that Uber or cab might wind up becoming a moot point.

Yeah anyone with a car will pay parking costs of some kind, either at the resort or the park, the comparison I mentioned is really for the guests without cars who cite staying at a value as being preferable to a much nicer DS resort because Disney bus transportation is included.

It's amazing how many people, when evaluating the cost of off or onsite, use 'well I don't need to rent a car' as a point, but in the days of Uber that shouldn't really be an issue.

 

[monykalyn]

Add in a $25/day resort fee and the 'cheap' $80 room is now $125

still better amenities, better room and better transportation service (if using uber) for the price of "cheap" onsite room...

I think some Disney Springs resorts waive parking fees, or at least some of them have promotional offers at times where the fee is waived so the concern of paying extra for that Uber or cab might wind up becoming a moot point.

B Resort right now is running a special of waived resort fees, and 30% off through a Mousesavers special. I can get a poolside room there for our dates in August for the same price as a CM discount at Pop (non preferred).
Deals like this are not rare. We have not payed the parking &/or resort fees at the Springs hotels. So to say "all resorts have all fees all the time" is simply not true when discussing offsite. It is true when staying on property now though, and cost is much higher for a smaller room.

 

[johnny johnston]

Having stayed at the All Star Sports, the Pop Century and also the Disney Springs Holiday Inn.
Out of the 3 the Disney Springs Holiday Inn was a steal of the deal in comparison of the two Disney Resorts. It was literally a 10-minute walk into Disney Springs and renting a car just as much easier than waiting for Disney transportation in the hot of the day or in rain.

 

[Scottmck66]

Pop Century food court is a big plus for me. Also I think bus may be quicker than Uber to Magic Kingdom considering Uber drops and picks up at the transportation center where busses go direct to park entrance. This spring most of my Uber trips on property were closer to $12 plus tip. Pop also now has coffee makers and refrigerators in all rooms.

 

[correcaminos]

Pop Century food court is a big plus for me. Also I think bus may be quicker than Uber to Magic Kingdom considering Uber drops and picks up at the transportation center where busses go direct to park entrance. This spring most of my Uber trips on property were closer to $12 plus tip. Pop also now has coffee makers and refrigerators in all rooms.

You can always drop off near the Contemporary to make up for that.

Personally if given the choice I would do a DS hotel over any value. I also would do Swan over moderates. Even if the former in each is slightly more, the amenities and room are significantly better. Sometimes I think sites like this are a little biased towards Disney over all else at times.

 

[daisyduckie]

You can always drop off near the Contemporary to make up for that.

Personally if given the choice I would do a DS hotel over any value. I also would do Swan over moderates. Even if the former in each is slightly more, the amenities and room are significantly better. Sometimes I think sites like this are a little biased towards Disney over all else at times.

I'd pick a value over a Disney Springs resort any day. Not because of the rooms, but because of location and transportation. Most of the time I'm not at Disney World to hang out at my resort. I'm there to see the parks and spend a little time at my resort. I also love the Disney food courts.

 

[JohnD]

I have stayed at All stars and POP before. I believe that POP is the best value resort. Here is why. Size of resort you are closer to main building and buses. Buses, you have your own bus not shared with other resorts. Can hop on AoA bus and just walk across bridge as option. Will be my third stay at POP this September.

Agree. Keep Pop. Request 60s section. It’s closest to transportation.? Also dedicated busses although you may share with AoA in the evening. Not much of a hardship really.

 

[correcaminos]

I'd pick a value over a Disney Springs resort any day. Not because of the rooms, but because of location and transportation. Most of the time I'm not at Disney World to hang out at my resort. I'm there to see the parks and spend a little time at my resort. I also love the Disney food courts.

To each their own. Buses for Disney ate hour or miss for me. I'd rather a schedule. I never noticed having an issue at the DS hotels. We do spend time at the resorts and a lot of time. So that is a big factor for me.

I guess I do not get the food court appeal at all. To me that's a negative. Then again I find a lot of food ay Disney to be just okay.

 

[KaliSplash]

You will find a better hotel room at Disney Springs, but you won't be IN the magic. Depends on what's important to you.

 

[thomas998]

Something else to consider is when you check availability and pricing for Disney Springs Hotels, the initial rate quoted looks cheaper; however, once you kick in resort fees, parking fees, and taxes, you are paying as much or more as you would at a Disney Value Resort. This happened to me. Plus, if you drive, traffic congestion in the DS area is unbearable and bumper to bumper between about 10 am and 10 pm. The bus transportation, while the buses are nice, often pick up multiple hotels and only run every 30 minutes by the clock. As I stated in a prior post, if you are have been waiting for 30 minutes and are unlucky to not get to the next bus before it fills up, you'll be waiting another 30 minutes.

Stay at POP or an All Star. The conveniences are worth it. Plus, you will want to take advantage of Extra Magic Hours.

Of course if you go another half mile further out and skip the Disney Spring hotels you can get the same type of rooms for less money and none of the annoying parking and resort fees. And since Disney now charges a parking fee you don't really have to factor in the cost of Disney parking because you'll have to pay that whether you stay onsite or off.