Upgrade from moderate to deluxe?

[sophie_the_pooh]

I'm wondering if it's worth it to upgrade from a moderate to a deluxe resort. I'm starting to plan my September 2015 vacation at WDW and I'm not sure which way to go. I will be travelling with my husband and my son, who will be 4 years-old by then. DH and I are experienced WDW guests, and my son came along on our last visit in April 2014 (he was 2 1/2). We stayed at CBR for 4 nights and really enjoyed our stay, we loved the general theming, the pool, the food court, etc.
Right now, I'm considering going back to CBR (and try to get the free dining plan deal for September 2015), although I'm also looking at the Contemporary or Wilderness Lodge. The reason why is because we'll be staying longer (7 nights)and I'd like to be a little more comfortable, enjoy a little more resort restaurants without renting a car, as well as staying closer to MK. What are your thoughts on the matter? Please consider that my son is VERY active and somewhat of a troublemaker, although he looks like an angel and everyone forgives him the minute he misbehaves...!!! I'm thinking he may need the CBR large setting to run around...What do you think?

 

[Metilinos]

Contemporary is about as close to MK as you can get without sleeping inside the park. But you'll be paying more, guaranteed. I don't know what CBR is nightly, never stayed there, but I can tell you I've spent an upwards of generally $400 a night for Bay Lake view rooms at contemporary. That's pretty much the standard room as well, mine you. If price is no option, all the more power to you.

Again, I don't really know CBR well but contemporary is gorgeous. I'd choose to go there every time if I could afford it. Chef Mickeys inside the contemporary is always hopping around breakfast time and it's a great place to eat. Monorail through the resort is awesome too.

 

[Tinkerbell397]

My vote is for The Contemporary too. Our first visit to Disney was when my daughter was 5 and son was 3 and they loved it. That was 27 years ago. At that time, we stayed in the garden wing. Whenever we go now, we stay in the tower. There is a lot of activity there....the monorail goes right through the hotel and Chef Mickey is there. The lobby is huge and there is always something going on...including Disney movies on the TV at check in. On our last visit, we stayed at The WL. It is lovely but a much smaller resort...the smallest of the deluxe I believe. One morning, we took a boat to the CR to hop on the monorail and a family with 2 and 4 year old girls rode along with us. When we arrived at the CR, the girls were so excited at the sight of the monorail and the 3 escalators it took to get there that I joked to the mom that they could have saved some $$ and just told the girls that the CR was Disney World. They loved loved the monorail to the GF and then we all took the glass elevator to the 2nd floor....well...the girls were beside themselves. I think that if they had gone back to the WL after their trek to the CR and the GF, the girls would have been happy.
Anyway.....don't hesitate to stay at the CR....kids love it and it is soooo convenient to the MK and the other deluxe resorts! Happy planning and Have a Magical Trip!

 

[sissa216]

I think both are a great choice. Wilderness Lodge is a nice way to stay Deluxe without the cost of the monorail resorts. While not as convenient as walking from MK, the boat ride is convenient and enjoyable!

I really love both. Wilderness Lodge has lovely, warm, inviting theming, and a great pool. The Contemporary is one of my favorite resorts for the room decor, location, dining options. Both have great cupcakes, so that's a plus for each

If you're going to keep cost into consideration, the least expensive rooms at the Contemporary are in the garden wing, which can be less convenient for transportation than being in the Tower, but not terrible. At peak times, the elevators inside the Contemporary can get very busy (but we never really experienced terrible waits). If you're already used to the size of CBR, the walk from the garden rooms to buses/monorail at CR won't seem that bad.

I don't think you can go wrong with either. If it comes down to cost and how much value you'll get out of spending the extra money, then you might want Wilderness Lodge.

 

[Mr Toad]

In a word, yes. Upgrade if you can. But don't forget about YC, BC and BW. The pool at YC/BC is awesome. Your kids will love it. You can walk to Epcot in about 5 minutes and HS in less than 15 min.

 

[sophie_the_pooh]

Thank you for your answers! It really helps!

 

[jlsHouston]

I recently stayed at CSR again after several years of only staying Deluxe and I was somewhat dismayed at the dirtiness of the resort while we were on property. Don't get me wrong, I love CSR still and think the property is beautiful, the pool great and the food at that resort very good but it just seemed that maintenance and housekeeping had a packed house and guests were throwing their trash everywhere and and it took away from my resort experience.
I stayed at CBR once and didn't really care much for that resort but the kids enjoyed it and the pool. I kind of felt like the rooms there were more similar to Value rooms and when we stayed at CSR the following year, another mod, that resort felt like an upgrade.
Of all the deluxes we have stayed so far, I can't even say which is more a favorite. Definitely staying on the monorail line is a time saver and gives you lots of dining options, just like staying at an EPCOT resort does. All the deluxe pools of the resorts on the monorail line and those by EPCOT are pretty awesome. The splash pad area for small children at the GF is really fun for little ones. I love the WL for the majesty of the resort and comfort and service and boat service to MK/Campgrounds/CR, but I was not overly impressed with the theme pool at that resort. I think it's closing later this year for a refurb too.
AKL is another beautiful resort with a great pool, awesome ethnic restaurants and the animals and activities for older kids make it a stay within a stay. My grandkids barely wanted to go to the parks when we stayed there they had so much fun with the pool activities and night activities.
One of the dvc properties I rented points for recently was SSR, and I was really impressed with that resort. Great pools, good food choices, easy access to DTD where more great food options are. Property was really well maintained. Bus service was prompt even though it was always quite a ride because of all the stops and the vastness of the resort, we never waited over 7 minutes for a bus at the stop on property.
If you are looking for more square footage and upgraded bathroom space the deluxe rooms will give you that along with impressive lobbies and more dining choices.

 

[ParentsOf4]

I will be travelling with my husband and my son, who will be 4 years-old by then. DH and I are experienced WDW guests, and my son came along on our last visit in April 2014 (he was 2 1/2). We stayed at CBR for 4 nights and really enjoyed our stay, we loved the general theming, the pool, the food court, etc.

What do you think?

I've stayed at all the resorts you are considering.

My advice would be to stay at another Moderate Resort, probably Port Orleans Riverside (POR). Your son will love the pool while you & your spouse will enjoy the new (for you) hotel. IMHO, POR has the best food court of any WDW hotel.

Save a Deluxe Resort (and your cash) for a future trip, after you've grown a bit tired of the Moderate Resorts.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

If you can afford it the Deluxe upgrade it nice, it would offer a balcony for you and your husband to hang out on if you son needs a nap. And they all have nice pool areas. The Caribbean has a nice pool too and is a fun place to relax, I think the island is a fun place to explore too.

 

[stevehousse]

As long as u are ok with spending about twice as what u paid for CBR then go for it. Remeber that if u do free dining you are paying rack rate for the room which can equal to mucho $$$...

 

[HouCuseChickie]

If it's in the budget, I'd go with the Contemporary. Having stayed at WL and the Contemporary with younger children...we felt there was just much more space at the Contemporary, far greater convenience, and more to keep the kids preoccupied. Yes, it will cost more, but that's the price you pay for convenience.

 

[slappy magoo]

I'm wondering if it's worth it to upgrade from a moderate to a deluxe resort. I'm starting to plan my September 2015 vacation at WDW and I'm not sure which way to go. I will be travelling with my husband and my son, who will be 4 years-old by then. DH and I are experienced WDW guests, and my son came along on our last visit in April 2014 (he was 2 1/2). We stayed at CBR for 4 nights and really enjoyed our stay, we loved the general theming, the pool, the food court, etc.
Right now, I'm considering going back to CBR (and try to get the free dining plan deal for September 2015), although I'm also looking at the Contemporary or Wilderness Lodge. The reason why is because we'll be staying longer (7 nights)and I'd like to be a little more comfortable, enjoy a little more resort restaurants without renting a car, as well as staying closer to MK. What are your thoughts on the matter? Please consider that my son is VERY active and somewhat of a troublemaker, although he looks like an angel and everyone forgives him the minute he misbehaves...!!! I'm thinking he may need the CBR large setting to run around...What do you think?

For the emphasized reason alone I'd say, if your budget allows it, stay at Contemporary. That's as close to MK as you can get, with a 10 minute-ish walking path to the main entrance so you don't even need a monorail or bus to get there. You have 3 sit down restaurants on property, you can monorail to Poly & GF for ther restaurants and amenities, ferry to Wilderness Lodge & Fort Wilderness for THEIR restaurants and amenities, and because MK is walking distance, that means you're also walking distance to a "hub" with bus access to every other resort on property. So unlike other resorts where you might have to take a bus to a park and then another bus to a resort where you have a dinner reservation, you have a brief walk.