Deluxe Resorts?

[Figment4President]

For those that stay at the Deluxe resorts on property, how long do you typically stay? I've always wanted to stay at one, but find it hard to justify the cost for the room when the family is barely there. I always thought that if I was staying 2 weeks and was spending more time at the hotel it could be fun. Interested to get everyone's thoughts.

 

[s&k'smom]

We typically spend one week. As a family we spend a lot of time at the hotel during our stay so that we are really able to enjoy our resort We take afternoon breaks for a swim and rest so that's another reason why we loves to stay so close to the parks. It takes some saving but we have never regretted spending the extra $.

 

[G8rchamps]

I am now 40 and married with children, grew up in FL and been to the park since I was about 5 yrs old. My wife also grew up here. We both ALWAYS wanted to stay in the "monorail hotel" but parents didn't pay for it, college budgets, new kids...
For my DD 6th birthday we did 2 nights at the contemporary and filled a life long dream for my wife and I. DD is now 9 and still talks about that trip. 2 nights was a stretch of our budget- but for a once in a lifetime rip it was worth every penny.

(We stayed a Pop Centaury last month and had a great trip)

 

[Figment4President]

@s&k'smom - That makes a lot of sense! When I was growing up we used to take breaks, but at this point my daughters a bit too young and doesn't stay up as late - so we tend to try and just push forward. I always have wanted to stay at the Polynesian since I first went to the Luau when I was 10 or so.

 

[Figment4President]

@G8rchamps - That's awesome! My bucket list for resorts is the Polynesian, Grand Floridian and Yacht Club. I travel a lot for work, so we tend to always stay at the Dolphin because I can use points. Thinking off throwing caution to the wind for our September trip and trying something new.

 

[MissViv]

We usually just stay 3 or 4 nights and stay at a Deluxe for the convenience. Have also stayed at a moderate a few times but now that we are older, we prefer the convenience of the Contemporary.

I can see if you were staying a week or longer how expensive it would be to stay in a deluxe.

 

[s&k'smom]

@s&k'smom - That makes a lot of sense! When I was growing up we used to take breaks, but at this point my daughters a bit too young and doesn't stay up as late - so we tend to try and just push forward. I always have wanted to stay at the Polynesian since I first went to the Luau when I was 10 or so.

I get that! Unfortunately our son has some sensory issues so a break is a must do, however my daughter and I are hoping for a girls trip one day and that will definitely day long times!

 

[Figment4President]

@MissViv - The convenience cannot be beat - also those views are incredible.

 

[BigRedDad]

For me and my family, a WDW onsite stay consists of a bunch of S's for the room and that is about it. We choose to save our money or stay offsite at better than Disney Deluxe.

 

[crbrown25]

We usually stay 5 nights and have found it's reasonable to rent DVC points and stay in the deluxe villas. It only ends up being about $50 more per night than staying in a moderate resort. With 2 little ones, it's worth a little extra to have a bigger room and balcony.

 

[21stamps]

Like others have said, the convenience of a few deluxe resorts can't be beat.
You don't need 2 weeks to enjoy it. A lot depends on your park style though. I've never been a park commando and enjoy taking advantage of the amenities at whatever resort I'm staying at. It's great to take breaks or spend an evening or morning at the pool or renting a watercraft...or breakfast in your room before the start of a long day..or dinner in your pjs watching the EWP and Wishes from your balcony.
But- If you are a park commando- total waste of money imo.

 

[disneylemons]

We usually stay 3-4 nights and our group can be 9 people ages 8 - 80 or just two of us... but the main reason we stay at a Deluxe is convenience. We don't want to waste a lot of time getting from place to place... and we usually take a break to swim or veg and enjoy the resort in the afternoons. By then my mother in law needs to rest a while, kids need to cool off, etc... but to be honest we have stayed at all the levels and enjoy all of them... yes - I'm a Disney nerd...

 

[Marianm]

We always go 7 nights and I'll only stay at a Deluxe MK hotel. Primarily for the convenience, since we have two young kids. Yes, it's pricey. But for our needs it's worth it.

 

[SyracuseDisneyFan]

The last time I went, we stayed 5 nights at Bay Lake Tower. When I go with my Mom and younger siblings in May, we're staying 6 nights at Animal Kingdom Lodge.

 

[ToTBellHop]

When we paid cash, we would do WL or AKL as they aren't too exorbitant with deals. Once we started renting and then became DVC members, that opened up the possibility of Bay Lake Tower and BoardWalk.

 

[Beacon Joe]

5 or 6 nights, usually, at a monorail loop resort. We typically spend several hours per day enjoying the grounds and pool and take one day off per vacation, and feel that we get our money's worth. We usually have a car, so even when we stay at the Animal Kingdom, getting back to the resort to rest and recharge is quick and easy.

Typically, we hit a park early and head back to the resort around 1 PM, then head back to the parks after dinner. Those hours of down time spent back at the resort swimming, boating, at the gym, or simply sitting somewhere on the grounds reading and soaking in the atmosphere are critical for us.

 

[Disney4family]

We've stayed 5 days to 16 days.
We loved our stays at All-Star Sports.
We splurged once in December 2008 when we saw my dad was starting to lose it. We enjoyed a MK view from The Contemporary for a huge family trip. Wonderful location for such a bittersweet trip.
We went back to the All-Stars the year after, but missed the awesome convenience of a monorail resort.
We bought into BLT and have enjoyed it ever since. We do miss our All-Star days, but love the convenience of being right there and walking home.

 

[MaryJaneP]

Having stayed at deluxe resorts and having stayed off-site multiple times, can we recommend ending your trip at the deluxe you choose, since we think it would be harder to do it the other way around? As for length, we usually did one (1) week, but less if our budget needed it. We think even CR garden wing rooms are deluxe. As others have said, part of it is the convenience, walking to parks, etc.

 

[bunnyman]

There's deluxe and then there's deluxe. Staying the the Wilderness Lodge, which is on the cheap side of the scale, we've done up to 7 or 8 days there. We're going down for three nights in March, and are splurging on the Contemporary. It also depends on what discounts are out there when booking. Two years ago we did 7 nights at the Yacht Club, because they had 30% off room rates while the BC had only 20%.

 

[ninjaprincesst]

We go for 9 days. We have stayed at every resort category but my Dad has become handicapped and it's way easier for him at a Deluxe.