Value vs. Deluxe

[JoyfulHeart]

So this will be our 3rd trip. our first to we stayed at POP. Dh co-worker convinced him to go deluxe. That it is worth the extra money. We ended up renting some DVC points and are staying at Copper Creek at the Wilderness Lodge. What are the advantages at staying at a deluxe vs value? I know they have TS offered, closer to a park, and now some extended hours. Is that mainly the only differences? Oh, and a slide at the pool. Maybe it's me, but that seems like very little for double to triple the cost. I know being close to a park is really nice, but.... I was just wondering if maybe there is something I'm missing? LOL. DH co-worker keeps saying once you go deluxe you won't go back. but I haven't figured out WHY. Thank you for your feedback!

 

[TheSouthernBelle]

No I don't think you're missing anything. There are some other deluxe perks like the rooms usually have balconies, the rooms are larger than values and sometimes the location/transportation benefits & options. Of course, most values/mods are motel style and you have to walk from a main lobby to your room outside. Also true for a few other deluxes but no motel style rooms in the deluxe category. I like a some of the deluxe resorts we've stayed at and some others I would not go back, but I also have those same feeling about mods and values. We switch back and forth between all the resort types favoring mostly mod and deluxe since my kids are a little older and the value theming isn't their style anymore and they enjoy the deluxe/mod pools. But to say once you go deluxe you won't go back, that's not true for us. For example, I'd rather stay at most mods than AKL.

Copper Creek is very nice, I guess you'll know more when you get back and have a deluxe stay under your belt.

 

[jennyq87]

Just my personal opinion -- but to me, that's kind of like asking if I'd rather stay at a well-themed motel or the Four Seasons. Do both allow you to sleep at night? Yep. Can you eat at both? Yep. Can you have a good time at both? Yep. But your overall experience will be different. In my experience, Value resorts are loud, spread out, have mediocre food options, functional but smaller rooms without many frills/amenities, set up motel-style (walking outside to lobby) and are themed more for children. For some people, that's all they want and there's no reason to spend more and that's absolutely fine. For me, I find a lot of value in spending more money for well-appointed, larger rooms with comfortable bedding, lots of great food options, easy transportation, pretty views, inside walks to the lobby, and more adult theming. But whether or not the "value" is there for you is totally subjective.

 

[Nabas]

Overall, the Deluxe Resorts are much nicer facilities. Using the hotels you mention as an example, the main Wilderness Lodge pool is much nicer than the main POP pool.

When our children were very young (under 8), they enjoyed the Value Resort pools as much as any other. However, when they were older and we took them to the Grand Floridian, one of our daughters said, “Let’s pretend we’re staying here.” As a parent, that really sticks with you.

After that, it was pretty much DVC stays all the time. The kids felt special being there, which made it more magical for us.

Beyond that, Deluxe (and most Moderate) resorts have more than one dining option. Going to the food court every day gets tedious by the end of the week.

Most rooms at the Deluxe Resorts have balconies, and we enjoy having coffee outside in the morning or a drink at night. You cannot really do this the same way at a Value or Moderate.

At the Wilderness Lodge, we love having a burger & beer outside at Geyser Point. There’s nothing like that at a Value Resort.

 

[hhisc16]

So this will be our 3rd trip. our first to we stayed at POP. Dh co-worker convinced him to go deluxe. That it is worth the extra money. We ended up renting some DVC points and are staying at Copper Creek at the Wilderness Lodge. What are the advantages at staying at a deluxe vs value? I know they have TS offered, closer to a park, and now some extended hours. Is that mainly the only differences? Oh, and a slide at the pool. Maybe it's me, but that seems like very little for double to triple the cost. I know being close to a park is really nice, but.... I was just wondering if maybe there is something I'm missing? LOL. DH co-worker keeps saying once you go deluxe you won't go back. but I haven't figured out WHY. Thank you for your feedback!

Wilderness Lodge is an awesome special place at WDW.
We have stayed at BRV and loved the experience. (BRV is on same property as CCV)
After staying at a value versus a deluxe with DVC points, we enjoy the DVC resorts more now.

 

[JoyfulHeart]

Ok, so the rooms are bigger and more comfortable, that makes sense. I had not realized there was a balcony, that would be wonderful. Better food, even the QS? I know you need reservation for TB, so it can't be a quick decision to go back to the hotel to get food. This is helping me understand it a bit better. Dose the transportation run more often or maybe less people with the same amount of transportation? That would be a huge plus as we have waited a long time for the buses at POP.

 

[hhisc16]

Ok, so the rooms are bigger and more comfortable, that makes sense. I had not realized there was a balcony, that would be wonderful. Better food, even the QS? I know you need reservation for TB, so it can't be a quick decision to go back to the hotel to get food. This is helping me understand it a bit better. Dose the transportation run more often or maybe less people with the same amount of transportation? That would be a huge plus as we have waited a long time for the buses at POP.

For WL/CCV, I highly recommend eating at Geyser Point and riding the boat transportation to MK.
The studios at CCV are larger than the value rooms and have the balcony plus the kitchenette.
We enjoy walking the resort and spending a day at the resort without going to the parks.

 

[TheSouthernBelle]

Ok, so the rooms are bigger and more comfortable, that makes sense. I had not realized there was a balcony, that would be wonderful. Better food, even the QS? I know you need reservation for TB, so it can't be a quick decision to go back to the hotel to get food. This is helping me understand it a bit better. Dose the transportation run more often or maybe less people with the same amount of transportation? That would be a huge plus as we have waited a long time for the buses at POP.

No unfortunately, the disney buses are the virtually the same schedules as all resorts, no more frequency or anything special for deluxe. The only perk of disney buses at a deluxe is there is normally only one stop whereas a value/mod may make 3-6 stops depending on the size of the resort. There really is not one thing that makes a deluxe nicer or more expensive, it's a bunch of different things that ideally should enhance your stay. The fact is, a disney deluxe doesn't hold a candle to any legit off-property 5 star hotel but, it's disney themed, and on disney property, so therefore it's more expensive.

 

[reddog21]

I think it also depends on how you structure your vacation. My wife has us on the go pretty much the whole vacation, if we spend more that 3 hours at the resort in a day I'd be shocked.
Were really only there to sleep and almost never use the pool. Were all extremely picky eaters so the food courts at the all stars work better for us then at the deluxe resorts(there are a few good QS at the deluxe resorts but the selection is far less). I don't see the point of paying the premium for barely being there.

 

[loves to dive]

Other people have pretty much answered. Bigger and nicer rooms, inside hallways (a real big perk for me) in 90% of the cases balconies (BC I'm looking at you now, get a darn balcony) hot tubs at main pool (which the moderates have as well) but a lot of the deluxe also have them at the small pools. TS restaurants, some don't have QS, mainly the Epcot ones. Maybe a tad nicer grounds. The bus stops are covered, at the values they are not, they are at the moderates as well. They do not have the ques at the bus stops that the values do so it can be a bit of a free for all. The buses are the buses are the buses everywhere.

Some of the deluxe resorts, well maybe all of them, are either within walking distance of some of the parks or have transportation other than buses (only exception might be AKL). WL has a boat to MK. CR and GF you can walk, boat or monorail to MK. Poly you can monorail, take a boat or walk if you really are tough to MK. All three of those also have monorail to Epcot, unless the monorail is down, that is the only way you can get to Epcot from them. BW, BC and YC have boats to both Epcot and HS and you can also walk to both of those parks. Riv has the sky liner to Epcot. Riv is technically not a deluxe as it is a DVC with no resort attached, which all the others on property have. You can book rooms for cash there but it is a DVC resort.

The value resorts are motels, the moderates are as well but maybe a tad more upscale. They can be very loud and crowded.

Is it worth the money to go from value to deluxe? It really is up to your finances, your style of doing Disney and if you spend a lot of time at the resort. Before I started staying at values and moderates, I would take a few hours out of each day and go tour the other resorts, just to see what was what since I had never actually stepped foot in them. I have now stayed in just about every property on site even the in our RV at the campground and at Shades of Green before it was military. The only places I have not stayed: SS, WL, AoA (and I don't see me staying there unless I need a suite) ASMu and Riv.

 

[redboat45]

The rooms are bigger. There used to be more advantages but they've since added some of them to values. You used to only be able to get Queen beds at Moderate or Delux, same with a fridge. They never used to have them at values.

They each serve a purpose. I really like the moderates and would stay at POR even though we own DVC. I guess you'll be able to see for yourself. I hope you come back and tell us what you think after you stay at the Wilderness Lodge.

 

[tiana1989]

I think everyone has mentioned the major differences. I’ve done trips at both and have really enjoyed both. Yes, there’s a difference in the quality of the rooms, but it’s not like the values are roach motels. They’re still clean and safe, and honestly if I had a young kid, I think being surrounded by oversized Disney characters would add a lot to their trip. The values can be noisy because the walls are thin and there might be more little little ones there than a “stuffier” place like GF, but I’ve also had noise problems at the deluxes because the noise really carries in those internal hallways.

There also seem to be certain perks even within the tiers that I think blur the lines even more, though. Adding the Skyliner to Pop and AoA absolutely make them worth the extra cost per night over the All-Stars (at least if you’re going to EPCOT and DHS). I’m sure there are some who would pick those over CSR and PO because you’re getting extra transportation options for less money. Multiple deluxes are bus only (AKL, SS, OKW). And the theming at PO is right up there with the deluxes in terms of attention to detail and the immersive effect. And CSR really feels like deluxe-lite, especially if you’re staying in the Tower. The rooms there are nicer than the other moderates, and there are multiple good restaurants at different price points. I would just stay where you’re most excited to stay and what works best for how your family does Disney/the budget. I’m personally still into trying out all the resorts, so I don’t repeat unless there’s a certain price point or location I’m being picky about.

 

[AnnabelleTheTalkingTree]

Admittedly I've never stayed at a value resort on Disney property. But I have stayed at moderate resorts on Disney property, and at motels that I imagine are comparable in places other than Disney. Comparing Disney moderates/off-site motels to Disney deluxe is like comparing apples and oranges.

Yes, when you get down to the core of it, they're all just a place to rest your head at night - but I would say that a deluxe (at DVC rental prices, at least, which is how we stay deluxe in Disney as well) is absolutely 100% worth it. It's about the amenities, the grounds, the theming, the convenience to the parks. I've always been a person who enjoys "nice" accommodations... because to me, if I'm going on a VACATION I want to be staying somewhere that is AT LEAST as nice as my home, if not nicer. It makes it feel extra special - that novelty and luxury just makes it all so extra exciting as far as I'm concerned. Again, I am a person who loves nice resorts. We don't do Disney in a mad dash, so we make use of our resort, it isn't just a place to crash at the end of the night. Deluxe resorts are a place to relax and get that full vacation vibe.

There's something about the deluxe resorts that are a cut above, at least the ones I've stayed at, and I have stayed at Copper Creek. I think you will be blown away if do choose to stay there. It felt so quiet and relaxing after a crazy park day - the theming does a great job of transporting you to a whole different environment. It's amazing to be able to take a boat to MK instead of lining up for the bus - you just get so much more of a relaxed feel. If you have little kids, even better, because you don't have to break that stroller down on the boat at the end of the night. You'll have a balcony to relax on (see if you can request a lake view, it's gorgeous), some great dining options right at your resort, and since you're staying at Copper Creek you will walk through that lobby every time you leave or come back to your room. And that lobby is really something else.

 

[robinb]

So this will be our 3rd trip. our first to we stayed at POP. Dh co-worker convinced him to go deluxe. That it is worth the extra money. We ended up renting some DVC points and are staying at Copper Creek at the Wilderness Lodge. What are the advantages at staying at a deluxe vs value? I know they have TS offered, closer to a park, and now some extended hours. Is that mainly the only differences? Oh, and a slide at the pool. Maybe it's me, but that seems like very little for double to triple the cost. I know being close to a park is really nice, but.... I was just wondering if maybe there is something I'm missing? LOL. DH co-worker keeps saying once you go deluxe you won't go back. but I haven't figured out WHY. Thank you for your feedback!

I've stayed at nearly every resort in WDW. I own DVC but I don't think I would be able to stomach the prices for Deluxe resorts now. If I had to pay for a resort I would probably stick with the values or stay offsite. I just don't get how people spend $400+ per night for a room PLUS all the other WDW expenses. Of course, I have about $20K sunk into DVC plus another $2K per year in dues so glass houses and all that.

Here are my thoughts ...

PROs of Deluxe over Value:

1. Deluxe extended evening hours
2. Better pool with slide and hot tub
3. Table service restaurant in the resort
4. Proximity to a park
5. Better landscaping
6. Uniquely and adultly themed
7. No giant cartoonish icons
8. Internal corridors
9. Balconies
10. Interesting views possible
11. Larger rooms
12. Plusher common areas
13. Nicer furniture
14. Deluxe bus stops are closer to the park

CONs of Deluxe

1. Price
2. Small (and in some resorts no) quick service restaurants
3. I find the GF to be a stuffy place
4. Bus service can take longer

PROs of a DVC Villa:

1. Studios:
   • A feeling of more room with the fold out couch folded up
   • A mini kitchen with a toaster, microwave and paper plates & plastic cutlery
   • Free laundry on the premises
2. 1BR and bigger:
   • A LOT more room
   • A full kitchen
   • Real dishes, glasses and cutlery and a dishwasher
   • Laundry in your room
   • King size bed in the master bedroom

 

[Miffy]

Something no one so far has mentioned: noise. I don't know if all the Values are like this, but I stayed at All Star Music many years ago and to say the walls were paper-thin would be a compliment. The walls were tissue-paper-thin.

I heard every single word that was spoken in the room next to mine, plus the sounds from all the occupants' activities, including a screaming baby and the sounds accompanying the try for another baby (ahem). And the noises from everyone rolling their luggage down the outside corridor and their conversations, etc., etc. I got zero sleep.

I have never had an even somewhat similar experience at a Mod or Deluxe. Ever.

There is a middle ground, you know--the Moderates. Port Orleans French Quarter is darn nice. But, for me, there's nothing that can beat the balcony at a Deluxe. I love that, especially at Animal Kingdom Lodge, where I can sit on the balcony and watch the animals. That is sheer heaven.

 

[Karin1984]

Keep in mind, it's okay to go back, or to like value resorts better than deluxe (for whatever reason). Usually when travelling I am a 'I need a bed, a shower and it has to be clean'-girl, but I do like to have more space and other perks from time to time. I know I can do without as well. I do not care a lot for decor and landscaping. I appreciate the look of it, but appreciating decor only lasts a few minutes.

My issue with staying at a deluxe hotel: I need to make use of the perks to get my money's worth. It puts pressure on a trip to make use of the facilities.
If I have in mind to do a vacation with park days from open to close, and I have a deluxe room. I feel guilty for not going to the pool, sit on the balcony, enjoy the view, etc.

If you love Deluxe and never go back, that's fine. Coming back from Deluxe and decide for the next trip to go back to value. It's okay.

 

[Starclassic]

Everyone has pretty much covered it. But, personally we’ve stayed Deluxe and went back to Value no problem. We LOVED our stay at AKL, and I would absolutely stay there or at another deluxe again! but I never felt like I took full advantage of what was to offer because we spend so much of our time in the parks. The fun themes of the values also just feel so Disney to us, and the kids love it.

 

[pens4821]

For us deluxe isn’t worth the added cost, but oddly we still do it every few trips for 4/5 nights. The rooms are nicer and bigger, the location is better, they are much more quiet, offer sit down restaurants (although I honestly prefer the variety of value food courts even though they aren’t as good), but the price difference is a lot. We aren’t in the room much, but it’s so nice to come back to a more laid back resort in the evening. Just like the vibe of the deluxes so much more.

We go every 2/3 years. What we started doing is either split stay value/deluxe or the entire 7 nights at a mod. Seems like a good compromise for us, but I know that won’t work for everyone.

 

[HerRoyalHighness]

My kids (older teens) are so used to the better stuff now that they probably would prefer deluxe over the values and moderates. I mean, we dont stay high end when we travel...even Springhill Suites and a lot of the newer Residence Inns are not motel-y. We like more space and amenities as we've aged

 

[Gabby01]

I think it really is a personal preference. I actually love the values. The updated rooms have a very clean aesthetic which is relaxing to me after a long day. I prefer being able to casually wander into the food court vs. making a reservation for a sit-down meal. And the “outside hallways” feel so tropical to me lol, it’s a nice reminder I’m in Florida! I like seeing the palm trees and birds on my way to the lobby. I also think Disney-related theming feels the most authentic when I’m at Disney World.

With that said, I think every WDW resort has its own charm, and I know some people really value the Deluxe amenities. So you have to consider what makes sense for you.