Is it worth it?

[Alley7728]

Usually our quick trips to WDW require nothing but a place to lay our head at night so the Value resorts are usually fine by me. We have stayed at a few of the Moderates over the years as well. This Christmas we have decided to do a 6 night trip. I want to make it special since this is going to be the just of gifts. My question is would staying at one of the pricier resorts make it more Magical? Which resorts will be decked out in Christmas glory? Is it worth spending more for the experience?

 

[ShookieJones]

This is always a tough question. It's all about what you're willing to spend. "is it worth it TO YOU?""

Here is my 2 cents -
The prices between value and moderate seem to be a little more easy to swallow than the difference between moderate and deluxe.
At least in my book...but then again we're springing for the Contemporary this year...holy good god is that a lot of dough.

The moderates have a little more something than the value and the Deluxes have a little more something than the moderates.
Is it WDW magic? Nahhh I think that kind of feeling we all have about WDW is pretty prevalent in all the resorts.
I think it's just the nicer, bigger beds, the nicer themes, and nicer pools and convenient locations, etc. etc.

The magic is everywhere..the amenities? Those you gotta pay a little extra for.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

GF, WL, AKL, and BC are my faves of the deluxes for holiday decorations, but I don't really think you need to stay at one of those to enjoy the decorations. Case in point, I stayed at WL back in Dec of 2010...tree literally right outside my room door...and while it was nice...I had my greatest holiday decor wow happy warm fuzzies magic feeling every time I set foot in the GF.

I really only think the extra cost is worth it if you're going to spend extra time (i.e. rest time, break days) at the resort, maybe have a bunch of dining that would make it more convenient, and enjoy the convenience of being close to a certain park. Ex. I really don't know if I want to pay the price for the Contemporary- even though I love it so- yet I have a 7am breakfast at Chef MIckey's where I'm probably going to need to bring leftover cake back to our room, 2 MK days, and several other MK or MK area early morning meals where being right there would make life SOOOOOOOOO much easier.

It's a tough choice---maybe you could do a split stay if you find it hard to choose.

 

[Pooh Lover]

Totally agree with @ShookieJones on this. If the Values are exactly everything you need and you feel your money could be better spent on something else, you could be disappointed. There are people who get spoiled once they've gone Moderate or Deluxe and there are people who can't see what all the fuss is about. While I can't say that I feel the amenities are "worth" what I pay for them, I appreciate them and pay for them. You may want to try it once and see what you think. You never know....you may find your next favorite resort.

 

[PUSH]

I also agree with Shookie on this one. It's all what you want, and what you're comfortable paying for.

From my point of view, unless I was rolling in the dough or got a great deal on a deluxe, I'm just as happy to stay at a moderate.

 

[emcclay]

If you can afford it, go for it. My mom, for example, loves CSR and would rather stay there than a deluxe. It all comes down to personal preference!

 

[cowanfamily]

I agree with the earlier posts. For me, I just as soon be at Pop then the moderates or deluxes. It just seems like Disney to me. However, I don't spend much time in my room so for me the extra cost seemed like a waste when I did stay at the deluxes.

 

[englanddg]

If the dent in your bank account takes your attention away from the more important things, like spending time with loved ones and generally enjoying your trip...then you shouldn't do it.

Shookie's analysis of the hotels (value vs mod vs deluxe) is spot on, I think. I can't say it any better. I normally stay at moderates, last year I did a value resort because I spent a few nights over at a Universal Resort Hotel, and they are pricey.

I noticed the difference between moderates and values, and while my stay at the Pop/AoA complex (Yeah, I think of them as a complex, not two separate resorts...comes from staying there, I ate at AoA all the time. Their food court is awesome!)...ahem sorry

While my stay at the Pop/AoA complex was amazingly fun, I missed the quieter feel of CBR. This year I'm trying PoFQ for our long stay. But, I splurged for a night at Contemporary right before our cruise. For one reason...Contemporary was where my parents stayed with me back in the early 80s on my first trip, and I'd like to have a night staying there as a guest with my daughter. That's it.

Cost wise, the Deluxe resorts are just way to much. While I could afford them, I'd find myself penny pinching on other parts of the budget, like Dining Plan and shopping. I'd rather not have those concerns when at the Parks. I like to show up, know that I have a deep shopping kitty that I don't have to penny pinch with (though, I can't afford stuff like in the Crystal shop, 20k for a Crystal Cinderella Castle...wha!?), I can afford a few upscale gifts (a skagan watch, for example) and other toys and souvaniers without worrying about it as I'm shopping, and only doing loose mental accounting.

So, for me, Mods are the way to go. But, that's me. Every family and even every trip is different.

 

[disneygirl1]

My thought is if you can afford to upgrade to a moderate or deluxe resort I say go for it. I have stayed in all 3 categories during the holidays (value, mod and Deluxe) and I have to stay while all have a very magical and holiday feel to them there was nothing like the holiday feel that I got waking up every morning and walking into the lobby of AKL!!!

Keep an eye out for discounts for December. free dining or a % of the room discount could definitely make staying at a mod or deluxe pretty affordable. At least it seemed so for us

 

[UofMGuy423]

If you can afford the upgrade then go for it...you won't regret it.

 

[PolynesianPrincess]

We have stayed at value and deluxe (no moderate yet) We've stayed at all 3 All Stars and those just scream Disney to me, with all the larger than life icons around you. We are content at values. We stayed at Wilderness Lodge in November 2011 and fell in love with it. My sister now calls that "home" even though we don't stay there every time. It just "feels" like home to us. We splurged for a courtyard view room and it was worth it, at least once. While we may not spring for the courtyard every time we stay there, we definitely will stay there again in the future. It's the least expensive (along with AKL) on the deluxe spectrum but I feel it is so well done and so perfectly themed. We debated between WLV and BLT for our September stay and ultimately BLT won out because A - we want to give it a try since a studio standard view was available and within our budget and B - we wanted to see if it was worth it to be on the monorail line. WL will always be home to us though and at Christmas it is gorgeous!

I'd say give it a try! If you don't like it, you don't have to do it again but at least you tried. And if you love it, then that'll just mean saving up a little more for next trip to get back to your deluxe

 

[JTT]

The deluxe resorts are great. I love the Poly. I love the theme, the restaurants and especially being on the monorail.

The WL is also great. Beautiful resort. Convenient boat ride to the Magic Kingdom.

We just stayed at the POFQ, great moderate, well laid out & beautiful grounds.

If I can swing it, I’d stay at the Poly every time but you can’t go wrong with the WL or POFQ.

 

[JillC LI]

I can't say whether you "should," but "if" you decide to, there's the life size gingerbread house in the lobby of the GF and the chocolate carousel in the lobby of the Beach Club, which is walking distance to DHS where you can see the Osborne Lights. Of course, we saw all those things and more last December while staying at CBR so it's not necessary to stay at a Deluxe to experience them.

 

[bethymouse]

I can't say whether you "should," but "if" you decide to, there's the life size gingerbread house in the lobby of the GF and the chocolate carousel in the lobby of the Beach Club, which is walking distance to DHS where you can see the Osborne Lights. Of course, we saw all those things and more last December while staying at CBR so it's not necessary to stay at a Deluxe to experience them.

That is true!
When we 1st started it was value. Then we went to mods. Now we're working our way through the deluxes!
It's expensive, but we save for it. You won't regret saving a bit of extra $$$ and staying at a moderate resort!

 

[Disvillain63]

When I can afford it (discounts or renting DVC points), I stay at a Deluxe...I like having a balcony. Otherwise, we stay at Moderates or Values. As for Christmas decor, I've never been real impressed with the decor at the Value Resorts...the closest was the wreaths for the different sports at ASSports. My favorite Moderate resort at Christmas was POFQ. Wilderness Lodge and the Grand Floridian are my favorite Deluxe's at Christmas.

 

[mcurtiss]

if its between values and moderates, I'd rather spend money on the meal plan and park souvenirs than a nicer room. i mean, CB and Pop are more or less the same distance from WDW and if you're just there to sleep, the savings can be justified.

If its between the moderates and the luxury, I'd be more willing to spend the money to be closer to WDW.

 

[wannabeBelle]

Is it worth it is the toughest question to me, every time!!! What one person would define as worth it, another may not. It is really a personal choice as to what is important to you and what amenities you want. Personally I do stay at all of the resort levels and think all of them are great. I find the Disney Magic to be in all of them and have never been disappointed with a stay at any Disney resort. My personal "go to" resorts tend to be the Moderate Level as a whole and PO RIverside and Coronado Springs specifically. As others have said, perhaps a split stay might be the answer to try out something new, but have a longer stay and not kill the budget!!! I'm sure you will be happy with whichever resort you select!!! Have a great time! Marie

 

[hiptwinmama]

I would say the are worth it, but only if it works into your budget without stressing you out that you spent too much.

 

[luv]

Magic springs from inside you, so it really depends on how you feel about it. If I were going for Christmas and could swing the increased cost, I'd stay at WL or GF. I think they're e best for Christmas. WL is my preference because it feels more warm and cozy, which is a very Christmassy feeling, IMO. GF next because it looks nice.

 

[Alley7728]

Thank you all for your inputs. Since it is 9 months away I have decided to go for WL. I started googling some of the past pics. and think this is going to be a good fit. Plenty of time to save for extras as well. Hoping there will be a dining plan offered between now and then there are still plenty of restraunts we haven't eaten at and am looking so forward to the Holidays. Wishing all a wonderful Easter.