Question for those who stay in the values.

[DisneyOutsider]

Sorry, I respectfully disagree...when you come to Orlando to go to WDW, their goal is to keep you on property, start to finish...I really can't see them giving in and allowing outside companies the opportunity to take their $$$ by allowing guests to stay off site. There will always be "value" resorts in Orlando...whether or not they are true value is a whole other tread. There will ALWAYS be Motel 6's.

You can disagree.. no need to apologize.

These hotels wouldn't be taking money from WDW. Quite the contrary... These hotels pay Disney for the privilege of being called a Good Neighbor Hotel. Disney has already demonstrated that they have no issue with guests staying at these more affordable off site locations with these recent actions.

What I'm saying is there is still more demand for high $$ accomodations on site, therefore there is little incentive for WDW to build another AoA, when they can instead build something that brings in more revenue. I know that people in this community don't want an to hear that, but I don't think that's likely to change anytime soon.

 

[OG Runner]

I have technically run the Disney gamut of hotels. I have stayed at the Polynesian, Caribbean Beach and the POP Century.
The Poly is great, but I no longer feel it is worth the extra cost. The POP Century is fine, and I did actually enjoy the huge
statues. The rooms are a bit small. The CBR is the great in-between. Nice atmosphere and reasonable pricing. One thing
to always keep in mind though is how much time do you plan on staying in your room. Sometimes it is enough to be on
property, have the free transportation and get into the parks early.

 

[Tom 55]

Just got back from DW. Spent 6 nights at POP. There was so much talk about buses. Thought I would put my 2 cents in. Yes there is only 1 bus pick up. What has never been talked about is were is the bus stop on the other end. At MK it is the last spot as far away as you can be. At Disney Springs it is the same thing. All the way to the outside and then down the end. Epcot all the way down to the end. Last space. HS is under construction so I don't know yet were that will end up. AK it is first walkway to the right all the way down to the end. It sure looked like you were being penalized for staying at POP a value resort. When you are tired and hangry it sure seemed like a long way to walk.

 

[OG Runner]

Just got back from DW. Spent 6 nights at POP. There was so much talk about buses. Thought I would put my 2 cents in. Yes there is only 1 bus pick up. What has never been talked about is were is the bus stop on the other end. At MK it is the last spot as far away as you can be. At Disney Springs it is the same thing. All the way to the outside and then down the end. Epcot all the way down to the end. Last space. HS is under construction so I don't know yet were that will end up. AK it is first walkway to the right all the way down to the end. It sure looked like you were being penalized for staying at POP a value resort. When you are tired and hangry it sure seemed like a long way to walk.

Yes, it is really "funny" to see the bus stops for the Polynesian and the Contemporary right up front, at the Magic Kingdom, when
they are the closest hotels to the park. Yes, staying at the POP Century you get the same services, for staying on property. You,
however, do not get the same level of services.

 

[Dad 2 M & M]

70's complex, top floor, (so no one is jumping on the floor in the room above you), and lake view...that's always been the quietest area of POP for us when we stayed there.

That is a nice view, and the walk to Landscape of Flavors is just a bit farther than Everything Pop!

You can disagree.. no need to apologize.

These hotels wouldn't be taking money from WDW. Quite the contrary... These hotels pay Disney for the privilege of being called a Good Neighbor Hotel. Disney has already demonstrated that they have no issue with guests staying at these more affordable off site locations with these recent actions.

What I'm saying is there is still more demand for high $$ accomodations on site, therefore there is little incentive for WDW to build another AoA, when they can instead build something that brings in more revenue. I know that people in this community don't want an to hear that, but I don't think that's likely to change anytime soon.

What is changing is the price of Pop...just recently the AP discounted rooms price at Pop surpassed the AP discounted Little Mermaid Rooms at AoA.

Just got back from DW. Spent 6 nights at POP. There was so much talk about buses. Thought I would put my 2 cents in. Yes there is only 1 bus pick up. What has never been talked about is were is the bus stop on the other end. At MK it is the last spot as far away as you can be. At Disney Springs it is the same thing. All the way to the outside and then down the end. Epcot all the way down to the end. Last space. HS is under construction so I don't know yet were that will end up. AK it is first walkway to the right all the way down to the end. It sure looked like you were being penalized for staying at POP a value resort. When you are tired and hangry it sure seemed like a long way to walk.

Yes, the stops are really a trek. Since free parking was added to the AP, we only use the buses for MK.

It won't be long before the All-Stars are the only Value resorts left if it is a price driven purchase.

 

[Dad 2 M & M]

Just as an FYI....the AP discounted Little Mermaid rooms at AoA are less expensive than the AP discounted STANDARD rooms at Pop! While the non-discounted room is still cheaper at Pop than the non-discounted Little Mermaid room at AoA, the AP discounts get you in the Little Mermaid for cheaper than Pop!!

 

[Minnesota disney fan]

Just got back from DW. Spent 6 nights at POP. There was so much talk about buses. Thought I would put my 2 cents in. Yes there is only 1 bus pick up. What has never been talked about is were is the bus stop on the other end. At MK it is the last spot as far away as you can be. At Disney Springs it is the same thing. All the way to the outside and then down the end. Epcot all the way down to the end. Last space. HS is under construction so I don't know yet were that will end up. AK it is first walkway to the right all the way down to the end. It sure looked like you were being penalized for staying at POP a value resort. When you are tired and hangry it sure seemed like a long way to walk.

I feel your pain, Tom55! We stay at the POR/POFQ resorts, and we are always way down next to the end. It always seemed to me that we were thelast ones, but I guess it just felt like that. It's a trek after a long day, anyway!

 

[Driver]

You can disagree.. no need to apologize.

These hotels wouldn't be taking money from WDW. Quite the contrary... These hotels pay Disney for the privilege of being called a Good Neighbor Hotel. Disney has already demonstrated that they have no issue with guests staying at these more affordable off site locations with these recent actions.

What I'm saying is there is still more demand for high $$ accomodations on site, therefore there is little incentive for WDW to build another AoA, when they can instead build something that brings in more revenue. I know that people in this community don't want an to hear that, but I don't think that's likely to change anytime soon.

Just for the record Disney's mindset IS to have as many as possible on property. They want you in the bubble! This is a fact and not my personal opinion.

 

[Driver]

Just got back from DW. Spent 6 nights at POP. There was so much talk about buses. Thought I would put my 2 cents in. Yes there is only 1 bus pick up. What has never been talked about is were is the bus stop on the other end. At MK it is the last spot as far away as you can be. At Disney Springs it is the same thing. All the way to the outside and then down the end. Epcot all the way down to the end. Last space. HS is under construction so I don't know yet were that will end up. AK it is first walkway to the right all the way down to the end. It sure looked like you were being penalized for staying at POP a value resort. When you are tired and hangry it sure seemed like a long way to walk.

Ok let me try this again ( I've explained it in other threads) the proximity of bus load zones to park entrance is driven by "neighborhoods " .Each park has it's own resort "neighborhood" Example- PoP is not in MK's neighborhood so it is away from the entrance as well as AoA and the All Stars. But in MK's case that is only part of the explanation. The other part is that circle that those resorts are in , is designed to accommodate articulated busses. Only select high volume resorts have load zones that can handle articulated busses. And MK is the only park that has articulated busses. In the case of AK the load zone for AK Lodge is a considerable distance from the entrance but it is right next to the dispatcher booth which is considered a place of honor. Because at the end of the night the extremity load zones get shut down, but AK's Lodge zone is untouched. Not any different in how MK holds it's resorts with respect through a dedicated "resort" monorail. You can shoot me down I don't care but what I'm telling you is NOT opinion it's fact. It's how we teach and train transportation CM's.

 

[DisneyOutsider]

Just for the record Disney's mindset IS to have as many as possible on property. They want you in the bubble! This is a fact and not my personal opinion.

Sure, but that mentality doesn't conflict with my statement at all. They know that even if every out of town park visitor wanted to stay on property (spoiler alert-- they don't), they won't have enough beds to house each and every one of them. There will always be an off-property market, and so they have a way to dip their fingers into that pot as well with the Good Neighbor benefits.

And so, with the inventory they can realistically provide, they are going to continue to go for the high $$ customer. I'd be very surprised to see another Value hotel built within the next decade.

 

[Minnesota disney fan]

Ok let me try this again ( I've explained it in other threads) the proximity of bus load zones to park entrance is driven by "neighborhoods " .Each park has it's own resort "neighborhood" Example- PoP is not in MK's neighborhood so it is away from the entrance as well as AoA and the All Stars. But in MK's case that is only part of the explanation. The other part is that circle that those resorts are in , is designed to accommodate articulated busses. Only select high volume resorts have load zones that can handle articulated busses. And MK is the only park that has articulated busses. In the case of AK the load zone for AK Lodge is a considerable distance from the entrance but it is right next to the dispatcher booth which is considered a place of honor. Because at the end of the night the extremity load zones get shut down, but AK's Lodge zone is untouched. Not any different in how MK holds it's resorts with respect through a dedicated "resort" monorail. You can shoot me down I don't care but what I'm telling you is NOT opinion it's fact. It's how we teach and train transportation CM's.

Thanks, once again, Driver for taking the time to explain this process.

 

[Driver]

Sure, but that mentality doesn't conflict with my statement at all. They know that even if every out of town park visitor wanted to stay on property (spoiler alert-- they don't), they won't have enough beds to house each and every one of them. There will always be an off-property market, and so they have a way to dip their fingers into that pot as well with the Good Neighbor benefits.

And so, with the inventory they can realistically provide, they are going to continue to go for the high $$ customer. I'd be very surprised to see another Value hotel built within the next decade.

I wasn't implying that it did or didn't conflict with what you said, I was just telling you their goal. And you are absolutely correct not everyone cares to stay on property. As to another value resort no one can guess. But I can tell you those resorts are always busy, and they are on property. That's two things Disney likes. The goals for Disney is numbers, many guest cannot justify the cost of deluxe. Even if they can afford it, many feel it's a waste to spend $$ on a place to sleep. But they still want the perks of being on property, so the values fill a need.

 

[HoneyBee1991]

I loved them as a child. My mom couldn't afford anything more expensive and she took me at ages 6 and 9. Both times we stayed at all star sports and both times I had very fond memories. My brother and I Ioved the oversized play areas, the pools and the game room.

As an adult the only thing I require is a clean room with a comfy bed and pillows. So I'm very happy to stay at the values. Moderate resorts have a very similar feel to the values for me. Deluxe hotels are nice when you aren't doing full days in the parks and are a treat for us. But I like the convenience of the values out of all 3 categories.

 

[hapihart]

I'm going to answer this question from the standpoint of a 5 year old, my granddaughter. We took her to Disney last year and stayed in the Art of Animation Finding Nemo Family Suites. She loved it. The bright colors, the themed area's, all wonderful to her. She went again with the other side of the family about six months later and they stayed in Pop Century. One of the first things out of her mouth was "Mommy, we're in the wrong hotel." From the mouths of babes....

 

[clarabellej]

Where do you recommend staying at POP? It will be our first time at that resort in April. Our last trip was club level at the Contemporary. Just like so many have mentioned, my wallet cannot do a deluxe this time and we want to see the new Toy Story land so...POP it is!

We’ve stayed all over, 70s, 90s, but I think 60s has become our favorite. 60s preferred if you don’t mind paying a little more. I like preferred vs preferred pool. Getting to close to the pool can be noisy. Although we are usually out early enough and back late enough that it doesn’t matter much. Preferred keeps you closer to main building and transportation. If you want to see new TSL, you might consider paying for “Early Morning Magic.” I don’t know all the details but here is the link: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/early-morning-magic-toy-story-land/
I haven’t been yet, but hear it is crowded still, and very long lines. You only get a choice of one TSL ride for FP, so paying for this “extra” may be a helpful option for now.

 

[clarabellej]

I'm going to answer this question from the standpoint of a 5 year old, my granddaughter. We took her to Disney last year and stayed in the Art of Animation Finding Nemo Family Suites. She loved it. The bright colors, the themed area's, all wonderful to her. She went again with the other side of the family about six months later and they stayed in Pop Century. One of the first things out of her mouth was "Mommy, we're in the wrong hotel." From the mouths of babes....

We are Pop folks, but having wandered over to AOA, I can totally see her point, lol! AOA is definitely brighter. We were in the gift shop there and it is like being in an alternate universe; similar yet different. I think the Values are awesome for younger Disney guests and I don’t mind the cute themes one bit!

 

[clarabellej]

We used to be dedicated All-Star people (as you can see from my signature!) but we switched to Pop because of the shared buses. As of the last time I stayed in an AS (Oct. 2015) it was still a shared bus for all three All-Star hotels. And yes, just as you said, the route was Sports then Music then Movies for pick ups, the reverse for drop offs. So, we preferred Movies because it meant the least amount of time on the bus. To alleviate the problem you mentioned (about full buses showing up at Movies), in the mornings we would often see a bus JUST come to our hotel. But for regular routes during the day and night, it was a shared bus.

I have noticed that there are dedicated bus stops for each AS hotel now, so I'm assuming this is no longer an issue, but the "shared bus" thing is not a legend made true due to repetition on this board. It was standard practice in the late 90's through the 2000's.

Thanks for this clarification. I thought I was losing my marbles.

 

[Stitch826]

Evidently there is an entire segment of folks who feel that the values are basically cheap and tacky and that one sign of the decline in Disney is that they built the values. The old Disney would never have built some thing so "crass" .

my question? Do you like the theming of the values? Do you feel that the service is less?

I know folks who love the values and that their kids really enjoy those over- sized statues.

Thoughts?

I just stayed in my first value resort last week (All-Star Music) after previously having stayed at the Caribbean Beach and the Polynesian. I was unsure of what to expect from the value resort after reading many fairly negative reviews, but overall the experience was a positive surprise. The theming is lacking, especially once you enter the room itself. (There is plenty of theming outside and in the main building though.) The room was clean, the bed was extremely comfortable, and the shower had plenty of water pressure. The room was brightly lit and contained a mini-fridge. Yes, there was noise from rooms nearby and from people walking outside, but that is true at moderate resorts also. The one true negative of the All-Star resorts is the distance between some buildings with the main building that contains the food court/bus stops. I don't know why designers couldn't design the resorts as one huge star-shaped building with five points (each representing a theme) instead of building ten separate buildings. It would have certainly made more sense and would prevent people from getting drenched during rain showers. Overall though, I would definitely stay in an All-Star resort again in the future.

 

[winstongator]

Evidently there is an entire segment of folks who feel that the values are basically cheap and tacky and that one sign of the decline in Disney is that they built the values. The old Disney would never have built some thing so "crass" .

my question? Do you like the theming of the values? Do you feel that the service is less?

I know folks who love the values and that their kids really enjoy those over- sized statues.

Thoughts?

I did my first stays at values recently, 4 nights (3 one trip, 1 another) at All Star Sports. We also just finished a week at a time share off 192. I've stayed mostly at moderates - Port Orleans & Dolphin - but also stays at the Contemporary, Yacht & Polynesian.

I enjoyed All Star Sports, and so did my kids. I love sports though, so the theming is in my wheelhouse. My kids loved the baseball themed pool and the big football field. Food court is similar to Riverside's. We didn't do any table service meals, so not having that wasn't an issue. The buses were great when we used them. Service was similar, but I don't ask much from hotels. I was peeved that I didn't get my room assignment email from online check in until 5 am, the morning after we had already checked in at the desk. Improving online check-in, especially given the phone & magic-band key would be nice.

When we're less time-limited, being passholders, I see the values as a way to do more days at WDW.

 

[clarabellej]

I did my first stays at values recently, 4 nights (3 one trip, 1 another) at All Star Sports. We also just finished a week at a time share off 192. I've stayed mostly at moderates - Port Orleans & Dolphin - but also stays at the Contemporary, Yacht & Polynesian.

I enjoyed All Star Sports, and so did my kids. I love sports though, so the theming is in my wheelhouse. My kids loved the baseball themed pool and the big football field. Food court is similar to Riverside's. We didn't do any table service meals, so not having that wasn't an issue. The buses were great when we used them. Service was similar, but I don't ask much from hotels. I was peeved that I didn't get my room assignment email from online check in until 5 am, the morning after we had already checked in at the desk. Improving online check-in, especially given the phone & magic-band key would be nice.

When we're less time-limited, being passholders, I see the values as a way to do more days at WDW.

Yikes, wonder what happened with your room notification. That was odd. We’ve never had a problem with that. Our room is usually ready quickly. I love the values, but not sure I would go as far as comparing Riverside & Values food courts. I think RIverside’s was nicer. We tried AOA’s food court on our last stay at Pop & I didn’t care for it. It looked nicer in pictures. Over all I love Pop!