Disney Resorts

[Master Yoda]

You have to have at least a queen size bed. I agree.

Your lowest priced option for that is Coronado Springs although there are a few cons that go with that pro.

 

[NutsForFlorida]

Your lowest priced option for that is Coronado Springs although there are a few cons that go with that pro.

In order for someone to get a queen size bed is to at least stay at the Coronado??? That's odd.

 

[Master Yoda]

In order for someone to get a queen size bed is to at least stay at the Coronado??? That's odd.

There are a limited number of king bed rooms at the value resorts but they can only be requested and not guaranteed. You can also get a queen bed at a value suite but the cost of the value suite is higher than a room at Coronado.

The queen beds were added to Coronado during the last refurb.

 

[rsoxguy]

In order for someone to get a queen size bed is to at least stay at the Coronado??? That's odd.

Not really so odd. The illustration below looks more generous than the actual room configuration, yet you can still see how tight the rooms are at the Value resorts.

The photo below shows how cramped those rooms can feel without queen beds.

Hope this helps. :wave:

 

[JEANYLASER]

It depends on when you are traveling. Promotions change all the time, have black out dates, etc.

it's me and my mom and dad! MasterYoda!

 

[slappy magoo]

Another potential factor is the potential profit that potentially comes from all the not-potential amenities each resort offers. For instance, in terms of "Extras" at the Values, what do you have? Gift shops (and I don't know how high-end those gift shops go compared to gift shops at mods and deluxe resorts, to say nothing of what gets purchased vs. what's offered). Arcades. Food court and pool bars. That's pretty much it. Whereas the mods and deluxes might have other things to do with price tags attached - bike rentals, boat rentals, spas and the like - as well as full-service restaurants.

Now the flip side to that argument - the thing I don't know - is if those amenities are factored into their resorts' specific bottom line, or if they're considered independent businesses (that just also happen to be owned by the same company that owns the resorts in which they exist) and Disney plays a "shell game" by leasing the real estate those "businesses" use to itself and decut it as some kind of business expense. If the former, I guess you can include the money those amenities make as part of the profitability of the resort. if it's the resort, then whatever the leasing agreement is - the "rent" Disney pays itself - could be factored into the profitability of the resort.

And then, of course, there's the pesky detail of most of the Deluxes being at least partly "owned" by DVC members. Boardwalk rooms can be quite expensive, but one whole side of the resort technically is run by DVC, so with the exception of the rooms Disney is able to rent out based on THEIR interest in DVC, there's not as much profit to be had.

 

[MarkTwain]

Monorail access to MK and Epcot, 2 table service restaurants, themed pool, interior hallways, rooms that are nearly double the size of a value resort, view of the fireworks at MK from the beach, queen size beds, full concierge service available, etc.

You don't have to be a guest of the Poly to enjoy all those things though...

I've never even stayed there, but the beach at the Poly (and the accompanying fireworks) is a perk of the monorail I've enjoyed quite a few times.

I mean, uh, not that I would ever crash a hotel like that... :lookaroun

 

[Tom]

You don't have to be a guest of the Poly to enjoy all those things though...

I've never even stayed there, but the beach at the Poly (and the accompanying fireworks) is a perk of the monorail I've enjoyed quite a few times.

I mean, uh, not that I would ever crash a hotel like that... :lookaroun

Hey, I've never seen any posted rules about no beach-hopping!

EDIT: But I'm sure someone will be quick to correct me with a photo of a sign saying "No Beach Hopping"

 

[Master Yoda]

You don't have to be a guest of the Poly to enjoy all those things though...

I've never even stayed there, but the beach at the Poly (and the accompanying fireworks) is a perk of the monorail I've enjoyed quite a few times.

I mean, uh, not that I would ever crash a hotel like that... :lookaroun

Done the same thing myself although I typically eat at Kona when I do as it makes the Jiminy Cricket on my shoulder shut his face.

 

[Spike-in-Berlin]

What do you get at the Polynesian that you wouldn't get at, let's just say, Pop Century?

Monorail access to the MK in less than 10 minutes normally. It's really that fast. Imagine yourself leaving your room and in less than 10 minutes you are walking through Main Street USA (actually I left the Poly at one morning at about 7.50 for the EMH in the morning and arrived just in time for rope drop. In the evening you can stay longer than most guests, except the other MK-resort area guests of course, Contemporary and Grand Floridian, because you are back in your room in less than 10 minutes, we were sometimes some of the last guests to leave the MK, especially in the EMH it's very relaxing. If you are staying in the Fiji, Tonga, Aoetaroa, Samoa or Hawaii longhouse the boat is sometimes even the faster connection than the monorail. EPCOT is also only a short ride away, you can walk from the Poly to the TTC. Wishes from the beach is pure magic, much better and more impressing than from the park. Of course you don't have to stay at the Poly to experience it but is much more relaxing if you know you are only a few minutes away from your room. And in the Polynesian you get Tonga Toast as breakfast, a classic. The rooms are much larger than in the Pop but as had to experience the housekeeping is sub-par and has to be improved. You also have a lot of resort-based merchandise, I know that is not important to everyone but we love to buy towels, t-shirts, mugs, etc. of our hotel and the Pop only offers postcards, like all values.
The volcano pool at the Poly is a beauty but to small btw. and that is why I definitely don't appreciate pool hopping by guests from other disney resorts btw.

 

[Tom]

Monorail access to the MK in less than 10 minutes normally. It's really that fast. Imagine yourself leaving your room and in less than 10 minutes you are walking through Main Street USA (actually I left the Poly at one morning at about 7.50 for the EMH in the morning and arrived just in time for rope drop. In the evening you can stay longer than most guests, except the other MK-resort area guests of course, Contemporary and Grand Floridian, because you are back in your room in less than 10 minutes, we were sometimes some of the last guests to leave the MK, especially in the EMH it's very relaxing. If you are staying in the Fiji, Tonga, Aoetaroa, Samoa or Hawaii longhouse the boat is sometimes even the faster connection than the monorail. EPCOT is also only a short ride away, you can walk from the Poly to the TTC. Wishes from the beach is pure magic, much better and more impressing than from the park. Of course you don't have to stay at the Poly to experience it but is much more relaxing if you know you are only a few minutes away from your room. And in the Polynesian you get Tonga Toast as breakfast, a classic. The rooms are much larger than in the Pop but as had to experience the housekeeping is sub-par and has to be improved. You also have a lot of resort-based merchandise, I know that is not important to everyone but we love to buy towels, t-shirts, mugs, etc. of our hotel and the Pop only offers postcards, like all values.
The volcano pool at the Poly is a beauty but to small btw. and that is why I definitely don't appreciate pool hopping by guests from other disney resorts btw.

If I didn't already love the Poly, I definitely would now! Nice report. Are they paying you?

 

[NutsForFlorida]

I've only stayed at the Disney Institute Villas when they were around. And in the Howard Johnson/Courtyard by Marriot hotel in Downtown Disney (before it was the Holiday Inn). So, I don't have too much experience staying within Disney. Half of the time I stayed off-site. I did notice that the all star resorts and the coronado (and others in the same price range), the rooms seem the same size. But the amenities are different. Is that correct?

 

[Spike-in-Berlin]

If I didn't already love the Poly, I definitely would now! Nice report. Are they paying you?

No but we got better rooms than expected. We had booked standard room with a garden view but after a chat with a very nice (female) CM at the phone one day in advance about our priorities concerning our room we got a room in the third floor of the Fiji longhouse overlooking the marina, the volcano and the lagoon with even some MK in the background (Space Mountain) and very near to the GCH! However after we arrived we were disappointed with the inadeqaute housekeeping. We had read about this problem in several hotelcheck-sites but I couldn't believe it until we were there, I believed they were just typical nitpickers but it REALLY was far sub-par considering we were staying at a DELUXE resort, wait for my trip report! I complained at the front-desk twice and we got a complimentary additional night in return! So although they really have to do something about the housekeeping (and the noisy AC) I love the Poly. If they manage to fix the problems I would consider it my favorite resort (at the moment it's the WL)

 

[Spike-in-Berlin]

I've only stayed at the Disney Institute Villas when they were around. And in the Howard Johnson/Courtyard by Marriot hotel in Downtown Disney (before it was the Holiday Inn). So, I don't have too much experience staying within Disney. Half of the time I stayed off-site. I did notice that the all star resorts and the coronado (and others in the same price range), the rooms seem the same size. But the amenities are different. Is that correct?

The rooms are not the same size, moderate rooms are 314 ft. at the CS and values 260 ft. at the All-Stars and Pop. Amenities are different. Values have only a CS-food court while the moderates feature at least one TS-restaurant. Pools at the values have very little theming while the moderate pools have a strong theming, are larger and feature a slide (the CS-main pool is HUGE!) Moderates and Deluxe also feature additional Root Beer and other beverages at the filling station for the refillable mugs. Values are disneyfied motel style while moderates have a more appealing architecture. There are more differences (less merchandise at the values, nearly no resort related merchandise at all) but I have to eat now.
And to make this clear, we loved the Pop. Value doesn't need to mean cheap and unsatisfactory.

 

[NutsForFlorida]

That's why I asked my questions on here. You guys are so knowledgable about Disney related items. I looked at disneyworld.com and the rooms look pretty similar in size, but different decor. I figured I'd asked because I didn't think that was right. You'd think they'd show pictures that are different.

 

[EvilQueen-T]

i think the fact that disney is adding the new resort as another value resort makes me think that they may be their best money makers. they approached my husbands company to do some specialty tiles for the pool (if he ends up doing the job) i'll be extra excited to see it when it's done.

 

[Kamikaze]

I would venture to say Pop Century because it is the largest resort. After that, the individual All Star resorts. However, since the All Star resorts are so close, if you combine them, then it is massive. I think the sheer volume, lower room cost would make the Value resorts the busiest and largest business.

Completely flawed logic. The profit margin on the upper end hotels far outweighs any of the values. You have to figure their cost per night to maintain a room is pretty much the same across property. Slightly higher at the upper end, but not much. So if it costs $40 a night to maintain a room, which resort is going to make more, the one charging $100 or the one charging $400?

That said, values definitely have the highest turnover and are always the closest to capacity. But that doesn't mean they make anywhere near the money that the deluxes do.

And ... in reality, DVCs are the biggest moneymaker in terms of resorts.