Value resorts vs. moderate vs. Deluxe.

[DarthVader]

I have a stay coming up at the Contemporary, and I have to say its literally one of my bucket list items - that may sound sad to some, but its something I've always wanted to stay it.

Anyways, we just came back from a short stay at the All Star Movies this past November and it was a great stay, no issues.

I'm at a point now though where I'm trying to get my brain wrapped around the advantages of the moderate and deluxe resorts. (Don't get me wrong, I'm not looking to cancel my existing reservation just look to others to find out what benefits the other higher priced resorts have to offer).

I've stayed at the POR, Caribbean, and a couple of the all star resorts over the years. I understand the rooms are a bit larger when you move up from the value resorts and you get queen sized beds but what are the other advantages?

 

[andy773]

One of the biggest advantages of the Contemporary in particular is its monorail access and its the only resort you can walk to the Magic Kingdom.

 

[DarthVader]

One of the biggest advantages of the Contemporary in particular is its monorail access and its the only resort you can walk to the Magic Kingdom.

Definitely and I'm looking forward to that, but I'm looking to see a more generalized perspective, i.e., the Poly, Grand Floridian others are very expensive. What other advantages do they offer when Disney by all accounts wants you to be in the parks and not in the room

 

[Jon81uk]

Moderates offer a table service restaurant, lounge and a slide at the pool compared to a value. They also have multiple bus stops which may mean less walking.
Deluxe resorts have multiple table service restaurants (but small counter service), interior corridors and guest balconies, plus a slide at the pool.

 

[Weather_Lady]

I have a stay coming up at the Contemporary, and I have to say its literally one of my bucket list items - that may sound sad to some, but its something I've always wanted to stay it.

Anyways, we just came back from a short stay at the All Star Movies this past November and it was a great stay, no issues.

I'm at a point now though where I'm trying to get my brain wrapped around the advantages of the moderate and deluxe resorts. (Don't get me wrong, I'm not looking to cancel my existing reservation just look to others to find out what benefits the other higher priced resorts have to offer).

I've stayed at the POR, Caribbean, and a couple of the all star resorts over the years. I understand the rooms are a bit larger when you move up from the value resorts and you get queen sized beds but what are the other advantages?

I totally get where you're coming from. Personally, I see a bigger jump in amenities between values and moderates, than between moderates and deluxes. We try to travel during times of year with room discounts, when we can stay in a moderate for closer to the typical cost of a value. (This is because, to us -- I who am an early riser who enjoys making a cup of coffee in the room, grabbing a shower, and starting to get dressed in a semi-private area without waking the rest of the family, my 6'0" DH who needs a queen bed, and our two hyper children, who really benefit from a few extra square feet of space to move -- the advantages of a moderate are worth a little extra cost. Plus, it's a lot easier for us all to get ready in the morning when we've got two sinks! A deluxe -- for us, not worth the added cost for what you get. We've only stayed in a deluxe when we rented DVC points that reduced the cost by over 40%, and as nice as it was, I wouldn't think it was worth paying more than that for it, ever.)

In skipping from value to moderate, the added cost gets you: shaded bus depots, a table service restaurant or lounge (or both), a larger room in terms of square feet, double sinks in the vanity area, a privacy curtain or door to separate the vanity area from the sleeping area, an in-room coffeemaker, and of course queen beds (and in some cases, a fold-down Murphy bed).

In going from moderate to deluxe, the added cost gets you: additional table service dining options (including signature options), a larger room, an extra toiletry or two, fancier linens, and additional (and often more expedient) means of transportation to one or more parks (e.g., the walking path from the Contemporary to MK, the monorail, boat launches). Also, some of the deluxe resorts (unlike all moderates except for POFQ) are a little less spread-out, and can be easier on the feet.

 

[aw14]

We have stayed at all levels, and multiple hotels, but keep coming back to deluxe at this point.

We have a stay in March at the Contemporary, and from a convenience stand point it cannot be beat. This will be our 4th deluxe stay, and I don't see us going back to Moderate or value at this point. Or at least the DW @awheartsdw doesn't see it

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

I haven't stayed at a deluxe but I love the expansiveness of the moderate resorts.

I spent hours strolling the grounds when I stayed at Coronado and French Quarter. Some may dislike the long walk from one's room to the lobby, I enjoyed it.

The deluxe resorts strike me as compact in comparison. Whether this is good or bad comes down to personal preference.

The deluxe resorts are quite accessible. It's easy to hop on a monorail and visit them, and to enjoy the atmosphere and some of the amenities, even when not staying there.

 

[Bairstow]

The big thing for me about the moderates and deluxes is that they have comprehensive themes that transport you to a particular time and place, whereas the values are all just big motels with oversized decorations bolted to the sides of them. For people who don't care much about architecture, this is a non-issue, but my enjoyment of being in the Disney Bubble is really dependent on the sensation of being transported to somewhere or sometime else, and the values just fail to do that.

I'm also a total snob and kind of a misanthrope, and the fact that the values always have a higher concentration of sports and youth groups is unappealing to me.

Finally, the fact that instead of nice, covered bus stops with benches and speakers playing instrumental music keyed to the theme of the resort, the values make you wait in exposed chain switchbacks is really annoying to me and a crummy way to start my days off.

Now I freely admit that these are all super-nitpicky things to care about, but for me these details add up, to the point that I would much rather stay off-property than stay at a value and get what I consider a compromised version of the Disney resort experience.

 

[s&k'smom]

You will love the Contemporary, it was on our bucket list too. The walk to the MK is amazing. The size of the rooms was really good for us at I have to 6 footers in my family. It's a big resort but we found our way around quickly. Having so many choices for food is a plus as well. You'll love it.

 

[blueboxdoctor]

Based on having stayed at the All Star, Polynesian, and Wilderness Lodge I'd say there's an overall difference in quality. The deluxe resorts have much better design, which at least for me, plays a big role in getting me into the WDW mood. I'm not a big fan of how the All Star just had big objects all over the place. I get that they do this so they don't have to put as much money into the design and development and upkeep of said development, but it doesn't do much for me. All of the resorts are clean and have good room cleaning/service, so in that regard, you'll have an enjoyable stay wherever you are (and is pretty cool so it never feels like they are neglecting people based on where they stay or anything like that).

The deluxe resorts also will have nicer pools and restaurants in them, if that matters to you, which it very well may not. As for the Contemporary, I've never stayed there mainly because the theme doesn't do much for anyone in my family, but I have been there many times to eat. I can say it's one of the more unique places there considering the monorail runs through it. And with a walk path to the Magic Kingdom, it's pretty sweet. Plus the monorail to the Transportation and Ticket Center makes EPCOT access really nice and being on the loop means eating at the Polynesian and Grand Floridian is pretty much like going to the Magic Kingdom (and same for the Wilderness Lodge restaurant). No doubt you'll enjoy your stay at the Contemporary.

 

[LuvtheGoof]

For people like us that only stay deluxe, the difference is simple; we don't ever commando the parks. We are not at a park from rope drop to closing, ever, so we love relaxing at the resort. For most people that are only there for the parks, then a value fits the bill for the budget minded, and a moderate for those that want a few extras, but still only use the room to sleep in. We go too often for that.

 

[Bairstow]

I won't saying anything because I have a thought but it is sure to offend someone.

Then why make a post saying that?

 

[fireworksandfairytales]

There's a pretty significant jump, in my opinion, between each category. Values are fantastic and well worth the money for sure, but when our budget allows for it, we definitely prefer to stay at a moderate or deluxe. We really like to stay in a moderate or deluxe during our summer trips, because it's so hot outside that we spend more time near the pool than we do during other trips. Moderates and deluxes have far nicer pool areas with water slides. Staying in deluxe resorts (aside from Animal Kingdom Lodge) provides extra transportation options (monorail for Poly, Grand Floridian and Contemporary; boat for Yacht & Beach Club, Wilderness Lodge, Boardwalk). The theming of the rooms is also more elaborate in moderates and even more elaborate in deluxes.
One thing we noticed on one of our more recent trips was the comfort of the bed. We stayed at the Grand Floridian for three nights and then decided to stay an extra night so we just booked a room at All-Star Music for the final night. Going from our bed at the Grand to our bed at Music was a huge shock. I usually think the beds at all Disney resorts are very comfortable, but I had never realized just how much better the beds in deluxe resorts were until having that back to back comparison.

I hope you have a great time at the Contemporary!

 

[Kevin_W]

Finally, the fact that instead of nice, covered bus stops with benches and speakers playing instrumental music keyed to the theme of the resort, the values make you wait in exposed chain switchbacks is really annoying to me and a crummy way to start my days off.

We're park commandos and so the value resorts have suited us fine for most of our trips. A couple summers ago, the price difference between Pop and CBR was only ~$20/night so we went with CBR for variety. Sure it had a nicer pool and was a prettier resort, but the covered bus stop with benches was the upgrade that we liked the best. Being 1/2-1/3rd the distance from room to bus stop was nice as well.

We haven't stayed deluxe, but location would be the biggest appeal to me. We had friends staying at the Polynesian and timed it leaving the MK one night. They made it back to their room 30-35 minutes before we got back to our room at Pop. That said, if I could stay at one deluxe it would probably be AKL, which doesn't have location as a plus, but has the savannahs.

 

[alhurricane]

We stayed at a moderate (Port Orleans Riverside) 2 years ago and Wilderness Lodge last year. I have to say the lodge completely spoiled us, mainly because of it's convenient access to MK at a more reasonable price point (compared to other deluxes) since we spend most of our time there. We could even see Wishes from our north wing standard view. Sure there was a loading zone below, but Wishes made up for it.

Don't get me wrong, Port Orleans was very nice, but the multiple bus stops and the longer walks from room to amenities was a definite minus for our family. However, if our budget couldn't swing a deluxe, we could easily stay at Port Orleans again.

We are staying at Wilderness Lodge again this year since we found a really great rate. We know there is construction, but the overall convenience and ambiance still makes it our pick. I would love to try another deluxe, but cannot make it work with our budget at this point.

Interestingly, we decided to book one night at Pop Century for the night we arrive on property. This will be our first time at a value, so I am interested to experience it. Since I am rather tall, I could not do double beds for an entire trip with a family of 4, but for one night I thought it would be neat to experience another resort.

 

[Much-Pixie-Dust]

Stayed at all three levels. Something we like is the greater charging limit to your account at the moderate and especially the deluxe level. We don't use the dining plan, so five hundred goes in a hurry on some days. Also, we are not commando park people, and we love the additional hotel activities that are offered at moderate and deluxe, such as boat rentals, surrey bikes, animal enrichment activities, etc.

 

[DisneyDukie]

We've stayed at 2 of the 3 All-Stars, POR, CBR, and AKL. Of all of them, I "romanticize" CBR the most - maybe because it's where we stayed the first time we brought our kids? I loved the amazing theme of AKL and the variety of dining experiences, but I thought the pool and outdoor activities at CBR were great, too. We're going back to AKL this year, but I have a feeling we'll stay at CBR again, too.

 

[zeebs758]

I believe one big difference is how many people are staying at each resort. Example, Wilderness Lodge has over 700 rooms available whereas Pop Century has almost 3000 rooms. It's especially nice when trying to get a bus to the parks in the morning or coming home after park closing. The lines are short for Deluxe resorts because less people are trying to get back to their rooms.

 

[Raineman]

I really cannot see myself and my family ever staying at a deluxe, or even a moderate, to be completely honest. When we are at WDW, we are there to experience the parks, Disney Springs, the water parks, etc, not to hang out at the resort. If I want to spend extended periods of time at a resort, I will pay less than what I pay for a Disney resort and head to an all-inclusive in the Caribbean. Not knocking the people who do spend time at the resorts at WDW, but for us, the resort is a place to sleep and keep our suitcases, have breakfast, catch a bus to the parks, and that's about it. Not to mention the cost factor-a week at a value is something we have to save for, so I can't imagine how much saving we would have to do to stay at a moderate or deluxe.

 

[alhurricane]

I really cannot see myself and my family ever staying at a deluxe, or even a moderate, to be completely honest. When we are at WDW, we are there to experience the parks, Disney Springs, the water parks, etc, not to hang out at the resort. If I want to spend extended periods of time at a resort, I will pay less than what I pay for a Disney resort and head to an all-inclusive in the Caribbean. Not knocking the people who do spend time at the resorts at WDW, but for us, the resort is a place to sleep and keep our suitcases, have breakfast, catch a bus to the parks, and that's about it. Not to mention the cost factor-a week at a value is something we have to save for, so I can't imagine how much saving we would have to do to stay at a moderate or deluxe.

Certainly nothing wrong with that if that works for your family. The big lure of WL is that we can typically get a real good deal (not too much more than a moderate) and have the convenience to MK. With kids, it is a blessing to either only have a 5 minute bus ride or 10 minute boat ride to the MK, which is where we are the majority of our trips and that allows us to spend more time at the park. For us though, WL is at the limit of our budget cap and we won't even go there if we can't find a great deal on Orbitz (their 15% combined with the Disney discount).