Looking for the truth about Value Resorts

[MerMom1981]

OK, so, I've only been to Disney once. We stayed at POFQ and absolutely loved it! Since it's never too soon to start planning, I'm starting to narrow down options for our next trip...in May of 2015 . Anyway, a recent trip report has me almost sold on AoA, but I hesitate because of one thing. Don't think me snobbish, but it's a value resort. I have heard (only heard, as I have basically no experience) that values tend to be a bit um... rode hard.
My assumption has always been that Disney takes good care of their property, matter the price point, but I've been warned off.

So give it to me straight

 

[DDuckFan130]

Do they take care of their resorts? For the most part, yes. If they don't, it'd be across the board. We ALWAYS stay at Pop Century, and yes we've noticed some wear and tear here and there (ooh, rhyme lol). I'm sure the All Stars are worse and AoA is better since it's newer.

Now, we just stayed at Coronado Springs because frankly we're sick of Pop LOL. If we can afford it, we will most certainly move on up and do moderates and hopefully deluxes. We've stayed at POR before but it's been a whole. We are staying once again at Pop for Labor day weekend mostly because a chunk of the $$$ for that trip will be for our one day trip to Universal.

Anyway, just as you may find things here and there at the values, so you will find at the other resorts. Perfect example: the housekeeper left us a towel (the ones you put outside the bathtub that they leave ON the bathtub) and there was a stain on it. I saw it and thought it was kinda gross. Good thing it wasn't going to be the one I dry myself with lol.

The main reason to be snobbish with value resorts is simply the room size. You will definitely feel the difference in room size and bed size. We did! The food is nothing to write home about but you will find good things to eat in either value or moderate. However, if you like sit-down meals, that's another area you may feel the difference a little.

Don't know if this helped at all but have fun!

 

[disneysince71]

If its a choice of outside of Disney or a Value... I pick Value every time. Are they perfect... No... are they good... yes...!

 

[lazyboy97o]

Art of Animation is still quite new. The All Stars are were groups tend to be sent. If I'm going to stay at an unthemed motel (the Value Resorts are decorated, not themed) I'd rather save some money, and stay at a nicer place off property.

 

[englanddg]

I stayed at Pop back in August, and I would gladly do a Value stay again. I did notice a difference between my room at Pop and the previous two stays at a moderate (Caribbean Beach). But, outside of the shower (which could easily have been isolated to my room), I would gladly stay at a Value again (though I would aim for AoA).

The only issue I had with the room was the shower. The temp adjustment lever was loose and it made it very difficult to set the temp. It would go from cool to incredibly hot with only a minor adjustment. It took a few tries (and a few days) to get to where I knew exactly how far to turn it (and then wiggle a bit) to get the temp to a comfortable temp.

 

[ParentsOf4]

We've stayed at the Value Resorts many times although the last time was 5 years ago and we'll never do it again. Too many large groups of unsupervised teenagers.

We used to visit offseason and it was fine then. Then we went a couple of summers and noticed a big difference.

 

[Magenta Panther]

I've stayed at Pop twice, and it was in good shape. Stayed in All-Star Movies once, and it too was fine. But it was a lot more kiddie oriented and garish. Made me think of Nickelodeon Suites.

 

[rsoxguy]

I have never stayed at AoA. I have, however, stayed at the three All Stars throughout the past years.

The Good
1. The value resorts are obviously cheaper than the other Disney resorts. This can not be mistaken for high praise, as the pricing for most of the Disney resorts is high when compared to similar hotels in many cities. Still, it's cheaper than others on property.
2. The value resorts are usually held to a decent standard of cleanliness and service. This can not be said of many off-property hotels or motels in the Kissimmee St. Cloud area.
3. Whimsy. The theme and general decor are well done.

The Not-So-Good
1. The clientele can be a bit less than considerate and well behaved. These hotels can be crowded, and often serve host to unsupervised crowds.
2. The layout is more like a very large motel, as opposed to a lavish resort.
3. Large groups of sometimes rowdy individuals such as sports teams and cheerleaders. Kids will be kids, but it can seem less tolerable when its on your vacation and your dime.
4. The rooms are fairly small for the money charged. I have stayed with three in the room, and getting groomed and dressed can make you feel like the Three Stooges in a phone booth.


Are the Values terrible? In my opinion, no.
Are they great? In my opinion, no.
Should you try them? Your opinion should be based on research and desire. I wish you well.

 

[PUSH]

Disney resorts are clean for the most part. Sure there are horror stories here and there, but all Disney resorts are kept clean.

AoA is new, so it shouldn't be a run down resort. The theming is very nice, I visited it in person a little under a month ago.

However, value resorts are known to have more kids running around. And they aren't really "value." You're paying a higher price than what a similar resort would be outside of Disney grounds, but that's just Disney.

 

[tare]

I like the moderates for their pools but pop is a definite yes for value!!!! Your not in your room to vacation your in your room to sleep!!

 

[jw24]

I've stayed at nothing but value resorts for financial reasons but the theming is very nice and are good if you're going to Disney on a very tight budget. Granted, it's a motel Disnified but the standards and cleanliness are much better compared to most motels. But I do recognize the drawbacks. The layout is just so large that it can be confusing and a bit hard to navigate. It's also very popular with families, school groups, sports teams, cheerleaders, etc so not only are they not exactly well-behaved at times, but the resort can be very noisy at times. Rooms are small and you'll definitely feel it with 3 or more people. I mean, 1 or 2 people probably isn't a big deal. 3 people can go either way but try cramming a family of 4-6, there's not a lot of room to work with. And the food courts are well, not exactly the best things you'll have on the entire trip but are just acceptable in my book. Nothing extraordinary or a must-eat meal but there are worse things you could eat. But ultimately, assess your hotel choice on these factors:

1. Is this hotel a hotel that won't break my budget?
2. What are must-have amenities for my party?
3. What do I value the most at WDW? (Park Time, Rec Activties, R&R, great dining experiences, etc.)
4. What are my transportation options at the resort/hotel to where I want to go in WDW and can I handle the potential caveats that come with it (i.e. Shared buses, crowded modes of transport, etc.)

These are questions you need to ask yourself and it's ultimately your decision. We can give you all of the advice and tips in the world but it's up to you. If the experience turns out great, that's great. If not, you've learned to never duplicate that experience again.

 

[wdisneyw2000]

The question i would ask you is are you traveling with kids? if you are then you would probably want to stay where the kids want cause yes you want to have fun & a great time also , but we all know it's about seeing the kids light up. Yes even us older kids lol,. I have stayed at value resorts evertime ive gone to disney because of the saving money. I look at it this way tare said it well, your in your resort to sleep, shower & change clothes, otherwise i'm out in the parks or out doing something. My opinion on the wild crazy person in the same building well you can have that at any resort, hotel , motel. You have to decide what is the best use of your money that your going to spend. Sure i would love to stay at a moderate, or more expensive, but if i'm only going to be in my room to sleep, shower, & change, well i'm going to go the cheapest route unless i find that it's a problem. But this August 4th - 10th will be my 7th time since 2000 & i've not had a problem yet with staying at value resort. This time i'm staying at AOA.

 

[Soarin2u]

My sister spent the winter band trip at the AoA resort. She claimed it was very nice resort and could almost be living under the standards of a moderate if I wasn't for the garish type stuff. She complained of walks and the noise but all they needed the room for was to sleep and shower and they barely spent time at the resort anyways. She said the resort was very cheery and it was hard to keep a frown on while there. (That should be anywhere at the parks, right?) Plus from other sources. I've heard that if you just want to enjoy a trip at WDW with a cheaper budget the values are a good choice. You go to WDW for the magic and the parks, not the sleeping and resort. Yes, the values attract more annoying crowds but if you don't waste time there (as in get in get out), then you should have to deal with them. I will be heading to the Pop the summer of 2016 with my friends, yet we aren't the annoying bunch. I spent a semester in Japan and even if I'd whisper I'd still get shushed. We are all classical musicians so its our cello's we play loud, not our voices. Plus we tend to not want attention. I feel that the values are just the best for any groups that just need a cheap vacation, which is purely what they are for in most cases.

 

[MerMom1981]

The question i would ask you is are you traveling with kids? if you are then you would probably want to stay where the kids want cause yes you want to have fun & a great time also , but we all know it's about seeing the kids light up. Yes even us older kids lol,. I have stayed at value resorts evertime ive gone to disney because of the saving money. I look at it this way tare said it well, your in your resort to sleep, shower & change clothes, otherwise i'm out in the parks or out doing something. My opinion on the wild crazy person in the same building well you can have that at any resort, hotel , motel. You have to decide what is the best use of your money that your going to spend. Sure i would love to stay at a moderate, or more expensive, but if i'm only going to be in my room to sleep, shower, & change, well i'm going to go the cheapest route unless i find that it's a problem. But this August 4th - 10th will be my 7th time since 2000 & i've not had a problem yet with staying at value resort. This time i'm staying at AOA.

Yes, we're bringing out little crazies! This is why I'm looking at AoA. We stayed at a moderate of my choosing (POFQ) last year. The kids loved it, probably because they didn't know a place like AoA existed! . While it was lovely and quiet, you all are right, we were barely there to enjoy the loveliness.

 

[MerMom1981]

Wow! Thank you everyone for being so ready with solid advice!

Seeing as a trip to Disney is all about the kids, (at least when you've got a 3 and 5 year-old in tow) I'm gonna go for it! AoA in May of 2015! We'll probably do a family suite so we're not so crammed. My son will be almost 5 for our trip, so I see us in the Cars section!

Thanks again!

 

[kasey1988]

If it came down to staying at a value or off site I would do a value! I have stayed at all star music and movies, and I enjoyed my trip both times. The grounds are well kept, rooms were clean, great service and food was pretty good for resort food. This being said we have fell in love with pofq, only difference being we enjoy the boat transportation option and felt there was less families and more couples on our last trip. I would consider value again if finances requires me to or when we have kids!

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

I have stayed at deluxe hotels, moderates, and the Pop (the only value, I tried to stay at the All-Star but got upgraded for free to the Beach Club). Obviously the deluxe are better themed and a little more posh, and the moderates are right there in the middle, but I love the Pop. If I had my choice of POR or the Pop I would pick the Pop any day! While we stayed at POR I kept thinking that I would have getting a better deal at the Pop. The bus service has always been good for us at the Pop and the rooms have been clean. If there were more than 2 of us in a room, like 3-4 adults it would be really small and tight and then I would want a bigger room. Or if I wanted to lounge more at a resort I would pick a mod or a deluxe, but we basically use the room/resort to sleep and take a mid-day break.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

I think you have to think about "what do I want in a room/resort to make this an enjoyable trip?" We have avoided the values b/c of the room size & the double beds...still, if DH stayed home and it was just me and my girls...I'd probably consider AoA if budget was an issue. Although, I'd also find out what kind of discounts are at Swan/Dolphin before making a decision. My brother and SIL usually wind up at the Dolphin and have gotten it as low as $117/nt. Of course, my kids have seen pics of the various values and were begging for AoA when I showed it to them.

 

[stevehousse]

I have stayed at deluxe and moderate resorts in the past and our November trip will be our first stay at a value, All Star Movies. We opted for it for budgetary reasons alone. Like another poster stated, its about the parks primarily for us this stay, so we just need a place to sleep. If we were staying longer we would definatly go mod. We are also during an do not plan on using the buses that much if at all, which is primarily the only downside to staying at All Stars that I have read about...

 

[Much-Pixie-Dust]

We have stayed at AOA twice, the week it opened in the Nemo Section and last December in the Mermaid Section. Is it my favorite? No. I like the poshness of a Deluxe. We think the sheets and mattresses are more comfy at a Deluxe or a Moderate. My family spends lots of time at the hotel, rather than just using it to sleep and shower. We love hotel activities, and Values don't offer a lot of additional activities, besides pool games. That being said, from the perspective of my daughter, who was 7 seven at the time, AOA was every bit as wonderful as any other level of resort we have ever stayed at Disney. She loved the pool and loved hearing Dory under the water in the main pool. She loved walking through the sections, and found the Arcade to be amazing. I also thought the theming was adorable and it is a great arcade. She also got towel animals everyday during both stays, and that has not been the case at other hotel stays. We have some visits where no towel animals are left. So her love of AOA made the trade-off to stay here worth it. Your children will most definitely love it, and their joy will make you happy! We toured the Cars Section before it opened last year, and it was so well themed. You feel like you really are in Carsland! Have a great trip and happy planning.