The Gap Between The Resorts.

[real mad hatter]

Ok. I don't mean what's the distance between POP and ALL STARS. Ive read that there's a big jump from Value to Moderate in various departments.But I've often read such good reports on moderate resorts that there's not a huge gap between them and deluxe.Yes,and before all you lucky folk that have experienced staying at a deluxe start firing arrows at me.What I'am trying to get at is the extra $$$$$ for your vacation staying at a deluxe worth it,? Or would you be better staying at a moderate and using the $$$$$ for spending money or other things.I will be asked this for sure at my up coming Disney party.The Balcony at a deluxe and theming and location would be my big three differences,but as I have only stayed at moderates I couldn't truly answer that.So what are your views please on this.?

 

[Semantje]

I have noticed that too. Big price differences! Disneyland Paris is nothing like that actually. You have Value wich isn't really Value at all actually because it still so expensive. Then you have the mid hotels wich are definiatly expensive, like Deluxe+ and then you have the Disneyland Hotel wich is not even funny anymore. I just checked, it's like $2000 a night for two people in august..... I do not approve that!!!

 

[real mad hatter]

I have noticed that too. Big price differences! Disneyland Paris is nothing like that actually. You have Value wich isn't really Value at all actually because it still so expensive. Then you have the mid hotels wich are definiatly expensive, like Deluxe+ and then you have the Disneyland Hotel wich is not even funny anymore. I just checked, it's like $2000 a night for two people in august..... I do not approve that!!!

Being from the Netherlands,how does the € rate compare to the $ for getting good value for your money.? I know that for me,the US dollar is much better value.We went to Greece two years ago and the € was just over 1 for a British pound.Saying that in 2008 we were getting $2.00 to £1.00 and we came home with lots of money.

 

[s&k'smom]

DH was looking at video of Port Orleans yesterday and we loved the look of it but it is a big resort and one thing we like about the deluxes is that they are don't seem as large, you can go from building to building to pool etc with not such a long walk, location just can't be beat to be able to walk to another resort or hop on the monorail, take a boat to us was key in younger days with our son, as for theming I think that is pretty much the same as like I said Port Orleans is gorgeous but I have to admit the GF and AKL are my favorites.

 

[disneysince71]

Mr Hatter,
Personally we stay at Deluxe 3 times a year Thanks to DVC. Once at All Stars (cheerleading) once at Pop or a Monderate and once at Swan/Dolphin or a Monderate.
I will just go ahead and say before DVC we did not do Deluxe. We did not feel the price difference was worth it... And we would rather do another trip a few months later.
If Money is not so much an issue. I would go deluxe. For the convince of being near a park.
If Money is an issue I personally think Pop and AOA are just as good as Corando and Carribean. I feel like PORS and FQ are a little better.... But we always seem to have issues with being in the back and getting a bus.... also comes down to what they are going to do at the resort. If they are pool people with no young children I definetly would not recommend Pop! But if they just want to sleep and get on a bus it would be fine! Thank you for the thread

 

[Semantje]

Being from the Netherlands,how does the € rate compare to the $ for getting good value for your money.? I know that for me,the US dollar is much better value.We went to Greece two years ago and the € was just over 1 for a British pound.Saying that in 2008 we were getting $2.00 to £1.00 and we came home with lots of money.

Way better value for the € as well! But at the moment we're not getting so much dollars than we used to get. €1 = $1.36. I do online shopping sometimes and i can remember i got something like $1.60 for €1. Besides that the GBP is getting better for us at the moment. Usually it was like GBP1 was €1,50 but now it's €1,16 for every GBP wich makes it a great deal booking trough the UK website. But i did noticed vacations in the UK are less expensive in general even when converting it to €. We are saving like €400 by paying for the vacation at this moment.

 

[real mad hatter]

Way better value for the € as well! But at the moment we're not getting so much dollars than we used to get. €1 = $1.36. I do online shopping sometimes and i can remember i got something like $1.60 for €1. Besides that the GBP is getting better for us at the moment. Usually it was like GBP1 was €1,50 but now it's €1,16 for every GBP wich makes it a great deal booking trough the UK website. But i did noticed vacations in the UK are less expensive in general even when converting it to €. We are saving like €400 by paying for the vacation at this moment.

As a matter of interest.You get a better rate of exchange if you square up your bill at the end of your vacation ( resort concierge ) in one transaction on your Visa / MasterCard.By using your Key of the World card to purchase food,drink,souvenirs,etc.We got around 10 cents better on every $1.00. So after 14 days our bill was around $1.500. But instead of $1.52 to a British pound,we got a rate of $1:62 to every £1.00. It's worth thinking about.

 

[Master Yoda]

I have stayed at every resort level at WDW. All the way from the values during Pop Warner weekend to club level rooms at DVC resorts. IMHO the moderates are the sweet spot where I feel that you get the most bang for your buck. The advantages you get by going deluxe (balcony, Signature restaurant, better location) do not always offset the additional cost.

 

[jenonso2]

DH was looking at video of Port Orleans yesterday and we loved the look of it but it is a big resort and one thing

 

[epcotisbest]

Another consideration is how you plan to spend your time. We too have stayed at all levels from Pop to several different deluxe resorts. If we are more into parks on a particular trip, we are happy at a value, but we don't have to factor in dining or transportation as we drive and can go to any restaurant or park easily. There are trips when we just want to relax and enjoy the resorts. That is when we prefer deluxe. When we stayed at Beach Club and at WL, we spent very little time in the parks. BW more park time, and even more park time while at OKW and SSR.
Moderates are enjoyable either way.
We have actually stayed at deluxe and never set foot in a park, and some people would call that crazy. No more crazy than paying huge dollars for a deluxe and only stopping by to shower and sleep.

 

[littleroo]

I have always stayed at a moderate besides one time I stayed in Fort Wilderness Campsites in a tent for a week About five years ago, when we were contemplating going deluxe, we were sitting next to a couple at the bar. They were quite obviously wealthy (made sure everyone knew it) and also well educated. They had stayed at every resort and had just had Disney transfer them from the Contemporary to POFQ. They go to Disney every few months for a few weeks and now will only stay at PO. The gentleman said, he had no problem spending money as long as he felt it was worthwhile!! I thought it was great advice!

 

[Alison1975]

I have stayed at every resort level at WDW. All the way from the values during Pop Warner weekend to club level rooms at DVC resorts. IMHO the moderates are the sweet spot where I feel that you get the most bang for your buck. The
advantages you get by going deluxe (balcony, Signature restaurant, better location) do not always offset the additional cost.

This is our take as well. We loved BWI but I cant imagine paying that price and not being there all day to take advantage of all the extras. We did it for 2 days and we did no park days so we fully took advantage. I would not pay that price and leave all day to go elsewhere..lol.. The moderates are def the way to go for us..

 

[BigRedDad]

Some people have more money than others and the expense doesn't matter. Some people save up for years to be able to stay in a Deluxe. It all depends on what someone wants. In some of the Deluxe resorts, there are people with their sense of privilege. I lived in FL for many years. You can spot these types of people in an instant. I worked for people like that. These were some of the most miserable people I every met. They always were trying to "1-up" all their friends. If one got a new car, the other would by the next model better. If someone in the circle got pregnant, all of them had to get pregnant or be ostracized.

Personally, put me in with the Value crowd and I am perfectly happy. Party, have a good time, cookout, have a beer. I am not one to sip tea or drink $150 glasses of brandy. For $150, I can have a whole pig BBQ with a couple cases of beer.

 

[real mad hatter]

Another consideration is how you plan to spend your time. We too have stayed at all levels from Pop to several different deluxe resorts. If we are more into parks on a particular trip, we are happy at a value, but we don't have to factor in dining or transportation as we drive and can go to any restaurant or park easily. There are trips when we just want to relax and enjoy the resorts. That is when we prefer deluxe. When we stayed at Beach Club and at WL, we spent very little time in the parks. BW more park time, and even more park time while at OKW and SSR.
Moderates are enjoyable either way.
We have actually stayed at deluxe and never set foot in a park, and some people would call that crazy. No more crazy than paying huge dollars for a deluxe and only stopping by to shower and sleep.

. I had to read this twice.You say you stayed at a deluxe resort,without setting foot in a park. How long was your stay?

 

[real mad hatter]

Some people have more money than others and the expense doesn't matter. Some people save up for years to be able to stay in a Deluxe. It all depends on what someone wants. In some of the Deluxe resorts, there are people with their sense of privilege. I lived in FL for many years. You can spot these types of people in an instant. I worked for people like that. These were some of the most miserable people I every met. They always were trying to "1-up" all their friends. If one got a new car, the other would by the next model better. If someone in the circle got pregnant, all of them had to get pregnant or be ostracized.

Personally, put me in with the Value crowd and I am perfectly happy. Party, have a good time, cookout, have a beer. I am not one to sip tea or drink $150 glasses of brandy. For $150, I can have a whole pig BBQ with a couple cases of beer.

. Couldn't agree more.Ive a friend ( well my DW used to work at one of his hotels ) and he is a millionaire.He has three luxury cars,timeshare in the Caribbean,owns property in Scotland and in London,England,goes on holiday four or five times a year,but saves vouchers to get money off meals when he dines out.He still looks miserable every time I see him.Yep,there's more to life than money..Health and Happiness to all my Disney friends.However if you are a millionaire,give me a PM for my onward address.

 

[BigRedDad]

Don't get me wrong though. I have met an equal number of wealthy people and you wouldn't know it. I was friends with a guy for 2 years before we slipped and blurted out how much money he had. He had a few too many when he said it. He asked me to keep it a secret because people would start treating him differently. I never had to pay a bar tab again with him.

 

[lunchbox1175]

I have a love hate relationship with the busses, love the fact that they are there and i don't need to rent a car, but hate the long wait and overcrowding on occasions, so that is a huge factor for me. Also, i feel that the little details of the deluxes make it worth it as well. The smell of the resorts especially Poly and GF, as well as I feel like the linens are better as well.

 

[disneygirl76]

Ok. I don't mean what's the distance between POP and ALL STARS. Ive read that there's a big jump from Value to Moderate in various departments.But I've often read such good reports on moderate resorts that there's not a huge gap between them and deluxe.Yes,and before all you lucky folk that have experienced staying at a deluxe start firing arrows at me.What I'am trying to get at is the extra $$$$$ for your vacation staying at a deluxe worth it,? Or would you be better staying at a moderate and using the $$$$$ for spending money or other things.I will be asked this for sure at my up coming Disney party.The Balcony at a deluxe and theming and location would be my big three differences,but as I have only stayed at moderates I couldn't truly answer that.So what are your views please on this.?

I totally get your point. I'm a Deluxe girl myself. But I stayed at all 3 resort options. But I see value in what you are saying and I do agree with you. The over all "feel" between a moderate and a deluxe is the same. You are totally immersed into another place and time. For example, strolling through the grounds of PORS or POFQ is quite similar to strolling along the Boardwalk. You are taken to a different place and time and truly are immersed and surrounded by the magic. The value resorts theme is more like posters on a wall. Yeah, you see all things Disney, but there is not that feel you get from a moderate and/or deluxe. As for food - again, very similar. The food options are great at a moderate. Excellent! I feel like the value resort had a less unique options (with the exception of the new AOA) and just very cafeteria. Whereas moderate and deluxe were more similar in theming foods to the resort theme as well as great over all options. The amenities are similar too. I will say that the deluxe are more luxurious - more little options in the bathrooms, the mattresses and pillows are like hugs and clouds. The biggest difference for my DH and I, the one that makes us Deluxe folks, is the alternate forms of transportation. The buses make me crazy. How there seems to be no rhyme or reason to how many are out to what resorts on a particular day. We have been in some ridiculous and obnoxious lines waiting for a moderate bus. It makes us crazy! So having an alternate way of getting to a park really helps and pretty much seals the deal for us to stay at a Deluxe resort.

 

[epcotisbest]

. I had to read this twice.You say you stayed at a deluxe resort,without setting foot in a park. How long was your stay?

Spent a week at WL and just hung out at the pool, resort hopped, went to the beach one day, swam with manatee at Crystal River one morning, did shopping at the outlets and went to DTD almost very day, and even read a book from start to finish in three sittings. I can't do that at home, or while going to the parks. Now don't get me wrong, there have been times when we had to come home from vacation and go to work to get some rest, but there are times when just chilling has an amazing restorative power. We once rented a mountain cabin in Gatlinburg, stocked the fridge and cabinets and left four days later having never made it any further than the front porch. Heaven on earth.

 

[epcotisbest]

. I had to read this twice.You say you stayed at a deluxe resort,without setting foot in a park. How long was your stay?

Oh, I am sure there was other stuff as well, but the best part was relaxing by the pool.