From Moderate to Deluxe!

real mad hatter

real mad hatter

Well-Known Member
Hi everyone.Well I woke up Sunday morning,sorry Kris,but it's true,last night my DW agreed to splash the cash for our 2014 vacation and this Sunday morning I've been looking at AKL & WL. Just getting a feel of those two resorts and which one I think we hopefully will end up booking.My question however is,has anyone decided after staying at their favourite moderate to go for a deluxe and after when they came home,wish they hadn't bothered splashing the bucks.? Now it will be a 14 day vacation and I reckon looking at the 2013 prices for July that the difference will be around $3.400 more for deluxe over moderate,however the dining plan on deluxe ( if it's free ) will save us approx $2.500,so it's swings & roundabouts so to speak.How would you convince me to go for it,fling caution to the wind.;)
 
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luv

luv

Well-Known Member
I always give a good deal of thought to where I will stay and have never had regrets about the level of hotel I picked.

In fact, the only regrets I ever had were...

Going to CBR after the Nemo re-do.

Having a parking lot view at AKL. I should have shelled out for better.


WL and AKL are practically the same hotel with different themes. Pick the theme you like better and go that way. :)
 
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ajrwdwgirl

ajrwdwgirl

Premium Member
I've stayed at a value, 3 moderates and 3 deluxes and if you want to splash the cash it is worth it. Although I have only paid to stay at one of the deluxes,that was compliments of my parents in the 1980's, and I got upgraded to the Beach Club for free from a value. But when I actually did pay to stay at the Wilderness Lodge it was worth every penny! If I was going to be there for 14 days I would definately stay at two different resorts. Maybe you could do a moderate you haven't done before and the Wilderness Lodge.
 
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K

kittybubbles

Active Member
real mad hatter said:
Cheers! Yeh we done the night vision after our meal,and yes,I agree about hotels.Iam a gold member with Hilton hotels and love the experience of lapping up the luxury.
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We live about 3 hours south of WDW so we have our car with us on all our trips and we very seldom are there for more than 3 nights...well I think 7 nights is the most we have ever done. I mention this for I think it is easier for us to stay at a value than if we would be there for two weeks.

In my opinion, I would want a bigger room for much a long stay. My memories of AKL and WL are that the rooms are about the same size as the rooms at the MODs. I know one time we had a room at WL that felt like a real long walk from the lobby/elevator (that I would think would have worn on me after two weeks). I know when we had a safari view at AKL it was a decent walk.

Anyway, both those resorts are extremely well themed (but I think I would enjoy WL more in the winter than in the summer, but I'm from south FL and do not get to sit in front of a fireplace ever, so the ones in the lobby are unique to me).

But what I was going to say is that if you are a Gold member w/ HH, you really should think about the Hilton (or Waldorf) at Bonnet Creek. The rooms are bigger and the hotel is newer than any deluxe at WDW. You give up things like extra magic hours, package deliver, and any dinning offers, but you gain comfort (in my opinion) and most likely you would save money.

The last time I was there, the offered free breakfast for gold members (a wonderful buffet at their Harvest resturant). They have a bus that runs to the parks/down town Disney that has seats, is air conditioned, and shows videos during the trip, plus you know what times the bus will be there. They also have a wonderful lazy river around the pool. It's not Disney, but you can get rooms w/ a view of Disney.

I'm not trying to knock Disney, but if you are looking to be comfortable w/o breaking the bank and think you might not want Disney 24/7, I would think about staying somewhere where you will earn more points for your next stay.
 
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disneygirl76

disneygirl76

Carey Poppins - Nanny and Disney Enthusiest
real mad hatter said:
Hi everyone.Well I woke up Sunday morning,sorry Kris,but it's true,last night my DW agreed to splash the cash for our 2014 vacation and this Sunday morning I've been looking at AKL & WL. Just getting a feel of those two resorts and which one I think we hopefully will end up booking.My question however is,has anyone decided after staying at their favourite moderate to go for a deluxe and after when they came home,wish they hadn't bothered splashing the bucks.? Now it will be a 14 day vacation and I reckon looking at the 2013 prices for July that the difference will be around $3.400 more for deluxe over moderate,however the dining plan on deluxe ( if it's free ) will save us approx $2.500,so it's swings & roundabouts so to speak.How would you convince me to go for it,fling caution to the wind.;)
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I can speak to this sort of - I regret NOT spending the money on our last trip for a Deluxe. I wish we would have thought about it a bit more - even if that means postponing the trip in order to make it happen. With the rain and the time spent on the buses, I regret not forking over the extra moola for the Deluxe. This is why DH and I decided that from now on, and for as long as we can, we will stay at a Deluxe resort. We realize that it is not likely that we will always be able to stay at Deluxes, but for as long as we can...we will. :)
 
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Gabe1

Gabe1

Ivory Tower Squabble EST 2011. WINDMILL SURVIVOR
I like WL much more than AKL. I was upgraded from POR to AKL for free and liked it, not loved it. Ive stayed at many resorts but most often POR, love the grounds, the QS and the rooms are very nice for the price and now have queen beds. More bang for the buck and we are not a family that travels to WDW to hang at the hotel.

My least favorite deluxe is the Contemporary. Guests beyond their room have very little privacy unless they sit in their room. Getting a meal at their own resort a chore. For the most part after doing that one is off the list.
 
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luv

luv

Well-Known Member
Gabe1 said:
I like WL much more than AKL. I was upgraded from POR to AKL for free and liked it, not loved it. Ive stayed at many resorts but most often POR, love the grounds, the QS and the rooms are very nice for the price and now have queen beds. More bang for the buck and we are not a family that travels to WDW to hang at the hotel.

My least favorite deluxe is the Contemporary. Guests beyond their room have very little privacy unless they sit in their room. Getting a meal at their own resort a chore. For the most part after doing that one is off the list.
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AKL is absolutely not the place for everyone.

If you think you'd like it, you'd probably love it. But it is absolutely the kind of place that would leave people who don't care for the theme feeling disappointed. And I say that as someone who loves it.

ITA about the Contemporary. My least favorite, too. But some people love it!
 
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sweetpee_1993

sweetpee_1993

Well-Known Member
There's something to love about each of the WDW resorts. I understand where others say "Why spend extra? It's a place to sleep & shower." I used to say that, too, when we were still park commandos staying at Pop. Staying at a deluxe is different for us because the resort is more of the destination and is a place you want to be at to enjoy the amenities and activities. For us it makes a huge difference.

We've stayed at both the AKL & WL. I think both resorts are like any other where your experience can vary by your room location within the resort. At the AKL we were in a savanna view overlooking Arusha Rock not far off the lobby. The long walks people commonly mention weren't an issue for us. My animal loving son still swears AKL is his favorite. At WL we had a first floor woods view room that overlooked a pond area. It was beautiful & serene. That room also was a great location not at all far from the lobby, dining, pool, etc. Personally, I felt like AKL was like this whole destination unto itself. It feels like you're in this whole other place than WDW. Going back to the resort was so relaxing. It felt like having a vacation from our vacation. The WL is gorgeous and so accessible to the MK just from having that nice boat ride. I always thought people were a little too fixated on that silly old boat (how great could that be?) until I stayed there. The boat is like being on an attraction before you ever walk thru the gate. It's amazing.

Honestly, I don't think you can go wrong with either resort. Keep in mind, it's not just a nicer pool or upgraded dining options you're paying for. It's an experience. You won't feel the need to beat the pavement in the parks from dawn until the wee hours every day. You have a whole world of Disney awesome-sauce to soak up right there. It's vacation. You're supposed to slow down and enjoy!
 
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D

DisneyDebNJ

Well-Known Member
real mad hatter said:
Hi everyone.Well I woke up Sunday morning,sorry Kris,but it's true,last night my DW agreed to splash the cash for our 2014 vacation and this Sunday morning I've been looking at AKL & WL. Just getting a feel of those two resorts and which one I think we hopefully will end up booking.My question however is,has anyone decided after staying at their favourite moderate to go for a deluxe and after when they came home,wish they hadn't bothered splashing the bucks.? Now it will be a 14 day vacation and I reckon looking at the 2013 prices for July that the difference will be around $3.400 more for deluxe over moderate,however the dining plan on deluxe ( if it's free ) will save us approx $2.500,so it's swings & roundabouts so to speak.How would you convince me to go for it,fling caution to the wind.;)
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I may be a bit biased, but I love the deluxes. We normally only vacation for a week to 10 days and most times (the time of year we go) there is either free dining or room discounts. For the convenience alone, transporation wise, we feel we get more hours of vacation time during our stay, other than spending hours on transportation from one park/resort to another. Consider this, youre in Disney, its hot, parks become extremely crowded, you decide to go back to your resort, have a nap, or a refreshing, revitalizing dip in your resort pool, then, decide to hit the parks when it becomes cooler. Its a short boat/monorail trip from your resort. Regarding deluxe resorts, in most cases, the rooms are a bit larger, as well as giving you the option of a balcony! (I picture the Hatter family on their balcony, watching the sunrise, or sunset, or enjoying fireworks, after a long, hot, wonderful day) I know the cost is a bit more than moderate, but in my opinion, so very much worth it!
 
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sgtmgd

sgtmgd

Well-Known Member
DisneyDebNJ said:
I may be a bit biased, but I love the deluxes. We normally only vacation for a week to 10 days and most times (the time of year we go) there is either free dining or room discounts. For the convenience alone, transporation wise, we feel we get more hours of vacation time during our stay, other than spending hours on transportation from one park/resort to another. Consider this, youre in Disney, its hot, parks become extremely crowded, you decide to go back to your resort, have a nap, or a refreshing, revitalizing dip in your resort pool, then, decide to hit the parks when it becomes cooler. Its a short boat/monorail trip from your resort. Regarding deluxe resorts, in most cases, the rooms are a bit larger, as well as giving you the option of a balcony! (I picture the Hatter family on their balcony, watching the sunrise, or sunset, or enjoying fireworks, after a long, hot, wonderful day) I know the cost is a bit more than moderate, but in my opinion, so very much worth it!
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I concur with the Jersey folks....Id add the beds are considerably more comfortably than a moderate...(as I was just at PRFQ and my back reminded me nightly) Deluxes are addiciting however..forwarned is forarmed
 
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bdearl41

bdearl41

Well-Known Member
If I could afford to stay at one of the Deluxes I would definately do Animal Kingdom Lodge. To me it is fantastice, Boma and Sanaa are amazing restaurants, its new and peaceful. WL and BC would be my next two choices after that.
 
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tracyandalex

tracyandalex

Well-Known Member
DisneyDebNJ said:
We are seriously considering WL for 2013 :)
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We have stayed at WL a few times and really really enjoyed it. The waterfall is stunning and the grounds are nice to roam and the geyser is cool.

Hatter - We stay in all levels, but the deluxes are always our first choice. To us it is more relaxed because we end up spending more time at the hotel, but we have never been the commando style park folks. This may come out wrong and i truly don't mean to offend anyone because everyone's preference and finances are different, but I just like to come back to a nicer room after a long day at the parks and at Disney there is a pretty big difference and you get what you pay for. For that length of time you might want to consider splitting with 2 hotels that way you can do your favorite and try something new. I will caution you though, I think for most folks once you go deluxe it's hard to go back, lol
 
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real mad hatter

real mad hatter

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Thanks for all your views.Yes,I agree that once you do a deluxe you might regret going back to a mod,but if we do,and I hope we do,it will be a one off.I once splashed out on a BMW 3 series and it was a dream to drive,however I now drive a Madza 6 T2S and tho it's no where near as classy as the BMW. I still love it.So Iam a great believer in at least do something you want to do once in life.At least you can say " Done That " and cheers Debs,I can also see me out in the balcony with DW & DS with a nice glass of Chardonnay singing " There's a great big beautiful tomorrow ";)
 
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