Resort category jumping?

[disney4life2008]

I am values all the way - inexpensive and I get the disney benefits. I have stayed at the mods and while nice - the price keeps me away

Speaking of price - does anyone remember when the values used to be $35-$45 a night, LOL.

 

[Ariel484]

I've only stayed at a value once - All Star Sports when I was 11. 11-year-old tomboy me loved it!

For my first few trips as an adult my husband and I stayed at the Boardwalk every time...so staying at a moderate for the first time in 2011 (Riverside) was...different. At the time the rooms hadn't been refurbed, so if the decor hadn't felt so dated I'm sure I would have liked Riverside more. We still prefer to stay at deluxe resorts (mostly be renting points for villas), but this year I stayed at POFQ and Coronado and really liked both, so at some point I'm sure we'll give Riverside another try since the rooms have been refreshed since 2011.

 

[JohnD]

I was discussing Disney resorts with my parents when deciding on which ones we wanted to stay. So, I began the conversation talking about the Values first (didn't want to be accused of not having the discussion about the least expensive resorts). My mother exclaimed, "I don't want to stay at a cheap hotel!" I had to explain to my mother that even a "Value" at Disney is nowhere near a Motel 6. Just look at the price, for example, many times in the $100s. So, if you look at a Disney resort "from the bottom up" based on what you can afford, there is no wrong resort.

Now, that having been said, there are more amenities offered the higher up the category. We immediately ruled out the values because no on-site restaurant (backup if, for whatever reason, we just can't make our ADR, we'll take the $10 hit and eat at the hotel), no coffee pot in the room (hey, it's important!) and no refrigerator. We settled on a moderate. Naturally, if we could afford the GF, I'm sure we would find it the best of the lot.

 

[Lord_Vader]

Two years ago we stayed at CBR for a week then moved to AS-S, while a bit jarring the changes in room-size, bus lines, food court differences were expected.

Last summer we stayed exclusively at the BWI, we all loved it and changed our reservation for Christmas to return. After 12 days this Christmas we moved to POFQ for the last couple nights and loved it too, adusting our expectations to a moderate resort. My wife was pleasantly surprised with the resort and ended up liking it quite a bit more than she thought she would.

We have stayed at many value, moderate and deluxe resorts over the years and for us it is mainly setting your expectations for settings, the guests around you and just simply enjoying where you are when you are there.

 

[Tuvalu]

I was discussing Disney resorts with my parents when deciding on which ones we wanted to stay. So, I began the conversation talking about the Values first (didn't want to be accused of not having the discussion about the least expensive resorts). My mother exclaimed, "I don't want to stay at a cheap hotel!" I had to explain to my mother that even a "Value" at Disney is nowhere near a Motel 6. Just look at the price, for example, many times in the $100s. So, if you look at a Disney resort "from the bottom up" based on what you can afford, there is no wrong resort.

Now, that having been said, there are more amenities offered the higher up the category. We immediately ruled out the values because no on-site restaurant (backup if, for whatever reason, we just can't make our ADR, we'll take the $10 hit and eat at the hotel), no coffee pot in the room (hey, it's important!) and no refrigerator. We settled on a moderate. Naturally, if we could afford the GF, I'm sure we would find it the best of the lot.

As an FYI for future visits, value resorts have refrigerators. And yes no table service restaurants, but food courts with 5 different food stations. Not sure about the coffee pot, will find out next month when we stay at Pop Century.

 

[JohnD]

As an FYI for future visits, value resorts have refrigerators. And yes no table service restaurants, but food courts with 5 different food stations. Not sure about the coffee pot, will find out next month when we stay at Pop Century.

Well, if you're sure that all values since Veterans Day weekend have refrigerators. I stayed at AS-S during that weekend and there was no refrigerator in my room, nor a coffee pot. Again, it's not a complaint, just an observation of amenties not available when I stayed there. I understand about food courts but there are no on-site restaurants.

 

[Tuvalu]

The fridges had to be replaced and should be back by now (someone posted a pic of the new POP fridges in another thread). Values did not used to have them, but now all Disney resort rooms do. And if there wasn't a coffee pot in your room, I have read that you can request one.

Agree that you do get what you pay for and the values are basic accommodations (and not too far off a Motel 6, to quote your mom! )

 

[princessmommy]

Me too!

Me threethree

 

[couchpotatooo]

So, a colleague of mine goes to Disney every August for about 2-3 days at a time. She always stays at GF. So on her most recent stay she stayed at POR. She HATED it. Everything she said was negative. I happened to like my stay at POR (years ago when it was Dixie Landings) and have even vivited there in the past few years and think it's great. I'm just thinking she is used to the monorail, the GF and the lay-out of POR just wasn't her cup of tea.

So, my question is, have you gone from a moderate to a value and been disappointed/surprised/pleased or a deluxe to a moderate...you get the idea. I have stayed at all categories but my last stay was at 2 deluxe resorts. (BLT and AKV) (I think my colleague is just snobby.)

Well the last four times we have been to WDW we have always stayed at the value resorts and perfer POP over the other value resorts but this year we decide to give POR a try so I'm hoping for a good experience but they don't seemed to be as Disney themed as the value ones which my kids like so we will see how things work out we leave for the parks 28 days.

 

[Takeitforgranite]

First off, the wife and I are the type that don't really care about resort amenities. We just want a clean place to sleep. We are all about the parks.

We have been 5 times together, and after we had stayed in the AS a couple times, we decided to try a moderate on the third trip because we got the free dining. We stayed at POFQ. Everything was obviously a notch or two above the AS, but we didn't feel like it was worth the extra $. The biggest beef I had was the bus stop. With two areas serving 5 destinations, there was no organization. You didn't know who was waiting for what bus, and people would just walk up at the last second and force their way on a bus with no reguard to anyone else.

We also stayed at OKW with the family once. The room was nice, but buses were few and far between. We typically waited 20-30 minutes for a bus.

With our budget, we can either come twice a year and go to a value resort or once and try a better resort. We are completly content with the value for now. Yeah, i'm sure its more crowded and noisy, but we always wind up away from pool areas and have never had an issue with noise in the room.

We fansize about getting to stay in once of the nice ones one day, but when we actually run the numbers, it doesn't make sense for us.

 

[couchpotatooo]

First off, the wife and I are the type that don't really care about resort amenities. We just want a clean place to sleep. We are all about the parks.

We have been 5 times together, and after we had stayed in the AS a couple times, we decided to try a moderate on the third trip because we got the free dining. We stayed at POFQ. Everything was obviously a notch or two above the AS, but we didn't feel like it was worth the extra $. The biggest beef I had was the bus stop. With two areas serving 5 destinations, there was no organization. You didn't know who was waiting for what bus, and people would just walk up at the last second and force their way on a bus with no reguard to anyone else.

We also stayed at OKW with the family once. The room was nice, but buses were few and far between. We typically waited 20-30 minutes for a bus.

With our budget, we can either come twice a year and go to a value resort or once and try a better resort. We are completly content with the value for now. Yeah, i'm sure its more crowded and noisy, but we always wind up away from pool areas and have never had an issue with noise in the room.

We fansize about getting to stay in once of the nice ones one day, but when we actually run the numbers, it doesn't make sense for us.

Yeah I would love to stay at the Animal Kingdom Lodge but can't justify spending that kind of money, I don't have that kind of money in the first place.