Deluxe vs Moderate vs Value - How to choose??

You stay where you can afford to stay. We started with moderate at Caribbean Beach Resort. The room was small, the resort too large and spread out, the food court was not impressive, and the main pool was too crowded and rowdy. The bus situation was a nightmare.

On our next 3 trips, we stayed at ASMusic, a value resort. The room was still small, but we expected that. The food court was about the same. The pool wasn’t as crowded as CBR, it was more compact which meant less walking all over the resort, and the bus situation was a lot better than CBR. We liked a value better than a moderate and saved money.

When we could afford it, we started staying deluxe. There’s no going back now. We spend about half of our time in the parks and the other half at the resort. It is well worth it for us to stay deluxe. We enjoy all of the amenities and refuse to give up bigger rooms and more modes of transportation. We refuse to give up nice restaurants in our own hotel.

Do whatever makes you happy.
 
Value resorts have a very "motel" feel to them. They're highly themed, almost to a kitschy extent. They have a lot of rooms, so are often the most crowded with the most people. They're very good for young families. Something to keep in mind is that the rooms are very small and they only have 2 full-sized double beds, as opposed to the Moderates, which I believe have queens.

Best Values: Art of Animation and Pop Century

Moderates are a step up, both in price and quality. The rooms look and feel nicer, the themes are more subtle and not as in-your-face as the Values. The resorts are still pretty large and have outside-opening motel-style doors. Again, good for families. My family stayed in Moderates for a while and we did just fine. It was a solid-size room for an older family (28, 33, parents in 60s).

I recommend: Coronado, Port Orleans Riverside, Port Orleans FQ

Deluxe is the top tier. It's the most expensive. We stayed Deluxe a few years ago, and like a PP, became Deluxe snobs. Once you go Deluxe, it's very, very hard to stay elsewhere. They usually have nicer amenities and more immersive, albeit subtle and mature themes. The doors open to interior corridors, meaning it's usually quieter and in most resorts, you can make it to the bus stop without getting wet while it's raining. The biggest factor is the location. That's what you're really paying for. We go for Christmas/NYE and being able to get back to Beach Club and be in our bed in the time it takes most to just get to their bus stop is a HUGE benefit. We can run back and grab a jacket if it gets cold, afternoon breaks aren't quite as inconvenient, and it allows us to get a later start on the day.

I recommend: IMO, the Epcot area (BC, YC, BW) is the best on property. Magic Kingdom resorts get all the love b/c you're so close to the most popular park, but Epcot resorts are quieter, more relaxing, and you can walk to Epcot AND DHS. DHS is a little further (20-25 mins) but there's also a boat available.
 
Like the others, our first ever family trip was at a deluxe monorail resort and after that, there was no turning back. What's worse is we've become addicted to the monorail (this includes our kids), so we have to be on the monorail to be happy, lol.

To get a feel of each resort, there are lots of resort walkthroughs on YouTube, those could be helpful.
But most importantly, stay at the resort that you can afford!
 
Don't be afraid to stay offsite, either. Sure, add in the cost of a rental car and Disney parking, but you'll still enjoy Disney if you plan it right.

People will argue that Magical Express is an awesome value, and not having to rent a car is the next best thing, but then you're captive to Disney prices, paying $15 for a $3 breakfast, or $20 for a quick service meal that would cost you $8 anywhere else. Table service meals are even more expensive. That adds up.

For us, we stay off site, buy breakfast/snacks for the week in the grocery stores, and try to only do one meal in the parks. Even though we rent a car and pay for Disney parking, we still come out WAY ahead.

For what it's worth, we priced out a vacation for 7 nights in December at a Deluxe, Yacht club specifically (only thing comparable to what we book off site). For the same total cost (for us), we could do 4 nights in September in California for Disneyland (staying off site), and 4 nights in December for Disneyworld (staying off site). Both of those locations require plane travel and rental cars, and we'd splurge and do Mickey's Hallween Party and Mickey's Christmas Party. I'd rather have two awesome 5 day vacations, rather than one 8 day vacation.

Basically, be sure to consider the "bang for the buck" when planning a vacation, especially a Disney vacation. As my username indicates, we've been to both coasts many times, staying off site and on site in both locations, and we're firmly in the "stay offsite" crowd unless Disney perks really change, or if the prices become more comparable.
 


Some considerations for making a choice:

  • How many people and what bedding options you need. The beds can be a limiting factor, and I think 4 people in a value feels cramped for my family, especially since we spend so much time at the resort (see next point).
  • How much time are you going to spend at the resort? If you're going to be a the parks from open to close, why bother with a deluxe? If you know your family likes to lounge around in the morning and will spend some days not even going to the parks, a moderate or even deluxe starts to have more value.
  • What will you budget tolerate? I love love love Poly club level, but our vacation budget is driven by our bonuses, and sometimes that just doesn't work out.
 
Think carefully about what is important to your family. A food court? Close bus stops? Monorail or walk to MK? Take boat to theme park? Nice lounge for late night drinks? Great pool? Slide and/or hot tub at pool? Great signature restaurant in the resort? Activities for kids? Activities for adults? Nice views out the window? Separate bed for each person? Living room space? Washer and dryer easily available? Highly themed areas that kids will love? Tranquil areas with little Disney theming? Shopping options at your resort? Spending as little cash as possible?

Based on what's important to YOU, different resorts will be right for your family. For my family we like: easy access to multiple them parks not using busses, large rooms with living spaces, slides and hot tubs at the pool. So...our favorites are Beach Club villas, Board walk villas, and Bay Lake Tower.
 
We started offsite and then did our first onsite stay at CBR. We chose moderate because deluxes were so pricey and the values didn't give us everything we wanted. We had to have a pool slide. That was a must. The pool is as much a part of our vacation as the parks.

Then we stayed deluxe on an awesome labor day deal and I don't want to go back to moderate. We loved the amenities, location, restaurants, etc.

Next trip I rented points to stay at BWV for less than the price of a moderate (just DD and myself). We are starting our trip with two nights at POFQ but I've actually always wanted to stay at POFQ so I'm happy with that.

We've never stayed value because I like to be a bit luxurious on vacation. The values don't do it for me. Now that my kids are reaching adulthood we may have to do two rooms in a value (I can't share a room with them anymore) if we ever go back for a family trip. Or two rooms at a moderate. We shall see what prices are like in the next few years.
 


We have stayed at all level of resort there, and I can say I will 100% never stay value again. Bus service is crowded, only one food option, and beds are super uncomfortable. Not to mention that they are really loud, and we don't feel like we can relax (we also really don't like the over sized objects as a theme). Moderates are ok if we have to, I won't stay at Caribbean Beach again though. But again, I hated the buses because they filled quickly so we always have had to wait for another (or 2 or 3) bus to come. You do have more dining options, and the theming is more subtle but still fantastic. Rooms are a bit more comfortable and quieter too, and if I were on more of a budget than usual I would definitely stay at a moderate again, especially for a last minute quick trip or something. Our favorites are the Deluxe resorts, so we choose to stay there when we can now. We stayed at Wilderness Lodge over Christmas and it was glorious, gorgeous building, really comfortable beds, and always had plenty of room on the bus morning and night. Lots of great food, and we didn't have to walk miles to get to our room. I like that the theming is more low key and every resort really does have a unique feel to it. We are extremely fortunate that we can afford deluxe, but you have to decide what is important to you and what is realistically in your budget. We like not having a really spread out resort, with comfortable beds and multiple food options, but that might not be important to you.
 
#1 What is your budget per night? Unless you can upgrade for a minimal amount, stay in budget.

That family sitting next to you at Crystal Palace may have stayed deluxe but they are enjoying the same meal you are.

That family standing next to you in the queue for Space Mountain may have stayed deluxe but they are in the same line you are.

Those FP+ you just booked at 60 days, makes no difference what level you stay or even if you stay at Disney Springs, you are all equal.

Yes some will arrive by monorail, some by bus and some walk ................. but pass those gates and it doesn't matter.

Unless you are planning to spend a great deal of time at your resort to utilize the little extras each level brings ....

then stay in your budget! There is so much to spend money on at Disney, last I would do go over budget on is a bed.

:teacher:

And the same people may have different budgets for different trips, that is why some of us have "stayed around".

MY opinions:

All Star Sports - have stayed many times, I like Surf's Up area best, never an issue, rooms always fresh, decent food court and bus service.

Coronado - our favorite moderate, maybe favorite resort overall, good imagineering (we love Ranchos), GREAT pool area that has everything from largest hot tub to quick service and mug refill right at the pool, good bus service and centrally located, LOTS of food and drink options.

Contemporary - concrete .... very close and walkable to Magic Kingdom, never had desire to stay as just too plain and I won't pay that much for location only.

Floridian - WAY overpriced for what you get. If you want to pay those prices look at Four Seasons and get a real legit deluxe experience.
 
We have almost always stayed moderate. One time we did Polynesian (we weren’t footing the bill lol) and another time art of animation. We plan on doing yacht or beach club next time. My kids are older now and can really enjoy Stormalong Bay. I am very concerned that we won’t be able to go back to moderate :). My opinion is that you should go with moderate (assuming it is within budget). I feel they are great and a nice happy medium. Personally my fave is riverside but second would be Coronado. Good luck in your decision! You will have a great time no matter what.
 
Floridian - WAY overpriced for what you get. If you want to pay those prices look at Four Seasons and get a real legit deluxe experience.[/QUOTE]
I thought I was the only that loves FS
 
I love the deluxe, but can only afford it if not paying rack rate, and I never pay rack rate. I have stayed moderate and value, and somewhat agree that moderate, for me, is not really worth the extra money. If I'm spending time at the resort, I stay deluxe. If I'm staying in the park from open to close, I would go value. Just my two cents.
 
The first time we went to Disney world, we stayed at All Star Movies. It was perfectly fine, and we had no issues...until we stayed at Wilderness Lodge the next visit. Riding a boat to Magic Kingdom, we realized why the Deluxe hotels were better for us. It spoiled us, and we've stayed at a deluxe ever since. Wilderness Lodge, Beach Club, Grand Floridian, and now Bay Lake Tower....so we were satisfied with the value until we stayed deluxe, now we wouldn't go back.
 
This is what I wrestled with too when we were planning our trip. We had stayed Value (all star something) eons ago pre-kids and even coming out of college (so not yet used to nice hotels!) really disliked how super loud and kind of garish it was.

The deluxe sticker tag though was obscene so we opted for moderate since they at least looked very pretty and had much nicer pools. I was apprehensive about the “motel” style but it was very nice in the room and charmingly themed outside of it. We picked POFQ and were super happy with it - despite the outside hallways it definitely had more of a “hotel” feel to it I thought vs any other motel I have ever stayed at. Thought it was a reasonable price (in Disney terms) for what we got.
 
I have never been to Disneyworld before. There are so many different hotels that it's impossible to choose.

At first I thought I'd pick the moderate ones, because we won't be in our room that much. Then I compared the moderate and value resorts and to be honest, I must be missing soething. Moderate resort has some more classy themes to how the buildings look. But they all have pretty much the same room layout. And a big food court. They all have motel corridors with windows on the front by the door. No balconies.

What's the difference between moderate and value that really make moderate worth about double the price? The motel style layout of either of their rooms. seem the same.

So then I looked at Deluxe, and the rooms seem really nice. You get your own balcony outside and the theming is a lot nicer too, and maybe the locations are better? But you're paying almost 4X more per night than the value and double from the moderate.

I'm not sure that the deluxe is worth 4 times the price, with available rooms at $450+ and some club level at $750 for a few snacks and drinks and a concierge every afternoon.

i know i am missing something here, and I'm willing to stay if the value is really there. Why do people pay that much more for Moderate and Deluxe? Please help me figure out what to do. I'm deciding between the All Star Sports, the Coronoado, the Contemporary, and the Floridian. And it's seems silly to decide between such different pricepoints.

Note: I have never been so I am really looking for some education above what the website seems to reveal. Thank you!
I pay for a deluxe because the value resort rooms are basically motel rooms, and that's simply not how I want to spend my vacation. We spent a week at Pop, and I decided never again. Even though we were at the parks most of the time, the room situation was unpleasant, and it's a major drag to really want to not have to go back to your room. The deluxes are real hotel rooms, at least. I haven't stayed at a moderate, but like you, I've noticed that their rooms share more features with the values than with the deluxes, so I'm just not interested.

This is precisely why the deluxe resorts are so much more expensive than the mods & values.
 
Value resorts have a very "motel" feel to them. They're highly themed, almost to a kitschy extent. They have a lot of rooms, so are often the most crowded with the most people. They're very good for young families. Something to keep in mind is that the rooms are very small and they only have 2 full-sized double beds, as opposed to the Moderates, which I believe have queens.

Best Values: Art of Animation and Pop Century

Moderates are a step up, both in price and quality. The rooms look and feel nicer, the themes are more subtle and not as in-your-face as the Values. The resorts are still pretty large and have outside-opening motel-style doors. Again, good for families. My family stayed in Moderates for a while and we did just fine. It was a solid-size room for an older family (28, 33, parents in 60s).

I recommend: Coronado, Port Orleans Riverside, Port Orleans FQ

Deluxe is the top tier. It's the most expensive. We stayed Deluxe a few years ago, and like a PP, became Deluxe snobs. Once you go Deluxe, it's very, very hard to stay elsewhere. They usually have nicer amenities and more immersive, albeit subtle and mature themes. The doors open to interior corridors, meaning it's usually quieter and in most resorts, you can make it to the bus stop without getting wet while it's raining. The biggest factor is the location. That's what you're really paying for. We go for Christmas/NYE and being able to get back to Beach Club and be in our bed in the time it takes most to just get to their bus stop is a HUGE benefit. We can run back and grab a jacket if it gets cold, afternoon breaks aren't quite as inconvenient, and it allows us to get a later start on the day.

I recommend: IMO, the Epcot area (BC, YC, BW) is the best on property. Magic Kingdom resorts get all the love b/c you're so close to the most popular park, but Epcot resorts are quieter, more relaxing, and you can walk to Epcot AND DHS. DHS is a little further (20-25 mins) but there's also a boat available.
I have to say, when we stayed at the Beach Club, we fell in love. Stormalong Bay is incomparable to the other pools at WDW. We love the boats. We just don't spend enough time at Epcot and HS to make it worth it for us. I wish I could pick up the resort and move it to Magic Kingdom.
 
I think it might help to know the ages of your party. My first WDW trip was for my 19th birthday with my college roommate. We stayed at Pop century (value), and I thought it was amazing. Everything was new to me, and I had never experienced anything like WDW. It didn’t even occur to me that the hotel was a “value” resort, though we visited some of the deluxe resorts for dinner. Very little time was even spent in the room.

My second trip was for my honeymoon, and we stayed deluxe... so of course that spoiled me. Since then we’ve stayed at all 3 levels, and have gone back to value several times depending on the circumstance.

I think it’s all about expectations, what is important to you/your party, and of course what you’re willing to pay.
 
I have never been to Disneyworld before. There are so many different hotels that it's impossible to choose.

At first I thought I'd pick the moderate ones, because we won't be in our room that much. Then I compared the moderate and value resorts and to be honest, I must be missing soething. Moderate resort has some more classy themes to how the buildings look. But they all have pretty much the same room layout. And a big food court. They all have motel corridors with windows on the front by the door. No balconies.

What's the difference between moderate and value that really make moderate worth about double the price? The motel style layout of either of their rooms. seem the same.

So then I looked at Deluxe, and the rooms seem really nice. You get your own balcony outside and the theming is a lot nicer too, and maybe the locations are better? But you're paying almost 4X more per night than the value and double from the moderate.

I'm not sure that the deluxe is worth 4 times the price, with available rooms at $450+ and some club level at $750 for a few snacks and drinks and a concierge every afternoon.

i know i am missing something here, and I'm willing to stay if the value is really there. Why do people pay that much more for Moderate and Deluxe? Please help me figure out what to do. I'm deciding between the All Star Sports, the Coronoado, the Contemporary, and the Floridian. And it's seems silly to decide between such different pricepoints.

Note: I have never been so I am really looking for some education above what the website seems to reveal. Thank you!



I’m going to start by saying that your budget should be the most important factor in choosing your resort. You will enjoy disney regardless of the resort choice. Also, congratulations on the upcoming trip, you’ll love it. Now, that said I will rate the options you are looking at:

All Star Sports....we’ve never stayed there, but we have stayed at the other two AllStar resorts and enjoyed the stays. Themed With disney characters with vibrant colors. Movies by the pool at night and not far from Magic Kingdom.

Coronado Springs....one of my personal favorites... awesome themed pool with slide. Huge resort...you’ll be walking alot. This resort is more subtly colored. Unfortunately, our family spent more time waiting on buses to/from the parks than any we’ve stayed at. Still love the resort.

Contemporary.....love going to visit..ie. Chef Mickeys. More like a regular hotel as far as theming. Always wanted to stay there, but if I’m paying that much I’d rather stay at the Polynesian...personal preference.

Grand Floridian....DW and I walk over there on our nightly walks together after kids get settled. Looks pretty, not sure I could justify staying there due to cost.


Values give you double/full size beds
Moderates bump that up to queen sized beds, slides at pools, rooms are slighly bigger...emphasis on slightly.
Deluxe...queen beds, usually a futon or couch in the room...bigger rooms. I will say that I wasn’t overly impressed with the pools at the Contemporary and Grand Floridian...but thats just me.

Fyi...there are two resorts that are deluxe but at a lower price point than the others...Wilderness Lodge and Animal Kingdom Lodge.

My final opinion would be stay at the AllStar Sports and save the money unless you just want queen size beds and a pool slide.
 
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Each step up offers more of a vacation in my opinion. Vacation meaning not just parks but enjoying the resort as well. Values are huge, loud, busy and crowded but if you’re not sure how much time you’ll spend there it’s a good place to start for a first trip. We found we needed to be able to enjoy the resorts to make it feel like a vacation so values are most likely off our list in the future.

Moderates *might* be the worst value if you pay rack because like you said besides the grounds being better themed, the rooms are not much better. In fact our new room at Pop was way better than rooms we’ve had at CBR and POR. But some do offer extras like themed rooms, bike rentals, horse drawn carriage rides around the grounds, boat rides to Disney Springs (POR, POFQ), great pool areas (CBR) or actual dining (POR)... so if you can get a good rate on a moderate it can worth it to upgrade for just a little more of that Disney Magic feel.

If you want to relax and enjoy some peace after the parks, deluxes are your best bet. If dining is important to you deluxes are your best bet. If you can splurge I will always think it’s worth it. Better transportation options, better rooms, better food. The price can be crazy so it really depends on your budget.
 

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