Deluxe Hotel, what are you really getting?

[Willmark]

So we're going to be staying at Yacht Club in December but this really got me thinking (i.e some of the posts in the International Gateway thread), just what are you getting for the increased cost?

Location and prestige are about the only thing I can think of. Club Level doesn't really even give that much of a perk outside of the tinkering with extra fast passes. Usually at higher end hotels you're paying for service, but at a Disney hotel that's largely a wash IMO.

I can see the point of the monorail hotels to degree but if the international gateway gets changed for the gondola, just what does the Epcot Deluxes offer in the long run?

Note we have stayed at moderate for years like POR and the location IMO is top notch with only AK being a longer ride. Everything else? Really quick to MK.

 

[cubs9911]

We often stay at Yacht Club and I think the location alone is worth the extra money. A 5-7 minute walk to Epcot and a walk or boat ride to Hollywood Studios is great. When we go to Magic Kingdom, we usually walk through Epcot and then take the monorail. Which means that we only take the busses to go to Animal Kingdom. In addition, the pool at Yacht/Beach club is great. We have sat in the pool and watched the fireworks at Hollywood Studios at night. We got a free upgrade to Club Level at the Yacht Club one time. When we arrived they declared us the "Yacht Club Family of the Day". They gave us a certificate, balloons, and a club level upgrade. I thought it was great. You can grab extra waters to take to the parks with you and we took advantage of the breakfast every morning and drinks in the evening. Our most recent stay was at Wilderness Lodge Club Level and I think it was worth it. If you take advantage of the "free" food, drinks, and snacks and can be worth it. Plus they hooked us up with extra fastpasses when we missed one and got us a reservation for Be Our Guest when we weren't able to get it. So are there enough perks to justify the extra money?... maybe not, but to me there are enough to make me pull the trigger.

 

[MissViv]

For me it is the convenience and large comfortable rooms. The resorts offer so much more in the whole Disney experience. We have stayed twice at the Wilderness Lodge but miss the monorail.

I have made several reservations at the moderates but ALWAYS end up upgrading to a Deluxe! I would never pay for Club Level but last time at the Poly, we were upgraded to Club Level and saved a ton of money on food. We did not have the dining package so we ate breakfast and most lunches at the Club. We were kinda watching calories then anyway.

For the trip we are planning in October, we originally had Pop Century (2 rooms) and upgraded to Bay Lake Towers 2 BR Villa. Then we changed it to a split stay , three nights at Bay Lake & two nights at Animal Kingdom Savanna View. Now, we are SUPER HYPED about this trip. It also matters on who is going on the trip. This time DH is staying home and it is me, daughter, and 2 adult grandsons. WE WILL HAVE A BLAST! It should be a very memorable trip and that is what I am looking for most of all!

We could have bought DVC points and stayed at Old Key West in a 2 BR Villa & saved around $3,000 but again the monorails and convenience of being closer to the parks won!

 

[OneofThree]

Location -period. There is simply no comparing the amenities or accommodations at a Disney deluxe with what may be had at similar pricing off-property. It's not close.

 

[wdwfan22]

Location larger rooms better pools and restaurants are just a few of the things you get by staying deluxe. For me I have a hard time seeing the value in the value and moderate resorts.

 

[LAKid53]

Larger room, nicer resort, better restaurants and other amenities. And as others have said, location, location, location.

 

[LUVofDIS]

Location is number one for us. During the holidays the deluxe's can not be beat when it comes to Christmas theming, we will tour various deluxe resorts just to see their Christmas offerings. The moderates don't compare in this respect.

 

[surfsupdon]

Time is money. I don’t have to rely on Disney Transport to get me to two theme parks...the waiting and then being crammed inside is not fun. Monorails aren’t even reliable or efficient any longer. Plus there is so much dining and entertainment around Crescent Lake.

I will always be a Yacht & Beach and Boardwalk snob.

 

[LAKid53]

Time is money. I don’t have to rely on Disney Transport to get me to two theme parks...the waiting and then being crammed inside is not fun. Monorails aren’t even reliable or efficient any longer. Plus there is so much dining and entertainment around Crescent Lake.

I will always be a Yacht & Beach and Boardwalk snob.

I stayed at Boardwalk. Call me crazy, but was not impressed. But I love WL. Which is where I'm usually hanging when at Disney. But in DVC.

 

[surfsupdon]

I stayed at Boardwalk. Call me crazy, but was not impressed. But I love WL. Which is where I'm usually hanging when at Disney. But in DVC.

Exactly my thoughts at WL. Did not fit my needs. Pretty, sure!

I’m glad Disney has such varieties for us all.

 

[joejccva71]

We're staying at Beach Club and it's worth it for location alone.

 

[Disone]

So we're going to be staying at Yacht Club in December but this really got me thinking (i.e some of the posts in the International Gateway thread), just what are you getting for the increased cost?

Location and prestige are about the only thing I can think of. Club Level doesn't really even give that much of a perk outside of the tinkering with extra fast passes. Usually at higher end hotels you're paying for service, but at a Disney hotel that's largely a wash IMO.

I can see the point of the monorail hotels to degree but if the international gateway gets changed for the gondola, just what does the Epcot Deluxes offer in the long run?

Note we have stayed at moderate for years like POR and the location IMO is top notch with only AK being a longer ride. Everything else? Really quick to MK.

If you stayed at POR and liked it, what convinced you to try the Yacht Club? That is your answer. So what made you try it?

 

[NeedMoreMickey]

Location. Our trips are usually 5 days so cutting down time spent on buses is a big deal to us. Last trip my husband had to use a scooter and that was much easier not getting on/off a bus. Couple years ago we were upgraded to club level and loved it. Don’t think I would ever pay for it but we did save money on food that trip.

 

[eliza61nyc]

Also, I'm really not understanding the meltdown over the Gondola's. when they skyliner opens up, the Beach club and the Yacht club will still have the same location. they are not moving, guest staying there will still walk to 2 parks. you will still enter Epcot through international gateway.

why does everyone think all of a sudden that's going to change?

 

[Minthorne]

why does everyone think all of a sudden that's going to change?

I think people are scared of all the zombies who were created by the baking hot, lightning struck, wildly swinging gondolas that will be stumbling around international gateway. You will have to be nimble to not be brain food as you walk in from the deluxe resorts at crescent lake.

 

[Kristopher Rannells]

Another vote for location mainly, but also the rooms are larger, pools are generally better, and much better dining options. Plus we generally stay until park closing and hate the "cattle cram" as my daughter calls it on the buses. It depends on how our trip shakes out so if we are mainly doing MK it is the Poly for us all the way, and BC/YC if it's more EPCOT/HS oriented (Food & Wine fest.), that way we keep the busing to a minimum. We used the boats more than the monorail for the MK when we stay at the Poly.

 

[KaliSplash]

What you get at a Deluxe resort is the maxiumum Disney Immersive experience. You are paying for location. You are paying for service. You are paying for attitude. You are paying for a better experience than you get at Moderate or Value hotels. What you are not getting is a comparable hotel room for the money outside the World.
But clearly, there are huge numbers of people who are willing to pay for that. They know they are not getting the finest hotel rooms in Orlando. They are the finest hotel rooms at Disney

 

[correcaminos]

Bigger rooms, better pools, and better TS (QS is lesser IMO). Usually a more quiet atmosphere. To me, better themes as well.

 

[Epcotfan21]

Also, I'm really not understanding the meltdown over the Gondola's. when they skyliner opens up, the Beach club and the Yacht club will still have the same location. they are not moving, guest staying there will still walk to 2 parks. you will still enter Epcot through international gateway.

why does everyone think all of a sudden that's going to change?

I think the real concern is the increase of gondola guests that will now be using the international gateway as their entrance into Epcot. Part of the IG appeal is the fact that there’s typically hardly a wait to enter the park. After the gondolas are finished, that’s clearly going to change.

 

[aw14]

We have stayed at several deluxe resorts
Poly, Contemporary, beach Club, AKL andtjere are a lot of extras as opposed to the moderates and values. The location are first and foremost for us.