Do you agree with this list of Disney resorts to avoid?

[mickeysimba]

How else are people staying at GF for so little? Not eveyrone is attending a conference, has friends with an employee discount, or military discount.

 

[Sammie]

Absolutely not. This quote is so wrong about OKW and SSR. Again, perfectly nice, but both hotels are WAY on the fringes on Disney Property and really only convenient to Disney Springs

Actually OKW and SSR are more convenient to all 4 parks than any other resorts due to their central location.

 

[DLgal]

How else are people staying at GF for so little? Not eveyrone is attending a conference, has friends with an employee discount, or military discount.

During the dates of our visit (first week of August) there was a general public discount available (the summer offer) that made the GF Lagoon View room $362/night. I saw it online before I called to book using the military discount. Poly and Contemp had rooms for low $300's as well.

 

[JanBlessed]

I'm curious about the "Disney Springs Hotels" she mentioned, though. Are they sort of "Disney, but not Disney", like the Swan & Dolphin?

They're standard resorts with an official DISNEY STORE, some have Mickey waffles, some have Character breakfasts, they have designated bus service (shared big buses, but not all of them share the same bus- there are groups that share a bus), some have extra Magic hours. That's been my experience by staying at 3 of them.

Although they're standard, they're kept very nice, because they're on Disney property. They mostly have a good pool area for the kids.

Personally, I like the Hilton-owned ones. There's also two more in Bonnet Creek. I've stayed at a Hilton there too. Beautiful pool & lazy river. And I Looooove their buses! Omg! DH and I just loved them - the best we've seen or been on in all of Orlando.

I just found out this year, that the Disney agents can book those for you! I had no idea...

 

[sharadoc]

Absolutely not. This quote is so wrong about OKW and SSR. Again, perfectly nice, but both hotels are WAY on the fringes on Disney Property and really only convenient to Disney Springs

Actually OKW and SSR are more convenient to all 4 parks than any other resorts due to their central location.

I was going to post the same thing. Those two, plus the Port Orleans are in the absolute best location for travel to all parks. You are in parking lots for MK, Epcot and DHS within 15 minutes even if you get stuck at a light. To get to MK, you do have to know the "back" way to get there a little quicker. but I would pick any of these as best for travel to multiple parks PLUS the boat to Disney Springs, which makes them by far the absolute best if you want to spread yourself around.

 

[sharadoc]

There is no need to pay $600 per night. Just adjust the time of year that you go and you can stay at the Poly for around $200 per night. When I went in August 2014 the Poly was $189 per night and the Wilderness Lodge was $169 per night. The prices have gone up a little but not that much.

Actually, they have gone up a lot! We used to be able to get a Fort Wilderness cabin for under $200 a night. Now it's closer to $350. Generally, a discounted stay at a DVC 1BR used to be around $2,500 for the week, now it's closer to $4,000. Plus when discounts come out, it is much more difficult to get a standard room on that discount at the deluxe hotels, so your experience does not apply as often as it used to, sadly.

 

[Sammie]

I was going to post the same thing. Those two, plus the Port Orleans are in the absolute best location for travel to all parks. You are in parking lots for MK, Epcot and DHS within 15 minutes even if you get stuck at a light. To get to MK, you do have to know the "back" way to get there a little quicker. but I would pick any of these as best for travel to multiple parks PLUS the boat to Disney Springs, which makes them by far the absolute best if you want to spread yourself around.

Exactly and very close to water parks. They both have the most central location to everything at Disney World.

 

[Boopuff]

I guess my issue with the list is that it begs the question - When's a Disney resort hotel not a Disney resort hotel? I've never considered Wyndnam, and Lake Buena Vista hotels to to "Disney" hotels. So the comparison is bunk. If you're talking strictly Disney heck you can also discard Dolphin and Swan (some amenities apply others don't)

 

[kellyanderson]

I do agree with the do not's!

 

[midge3426]

I agree with the Grand Floridian. We stayed GF Sugar Loaf a few year ago and was not impressed. For the amount of money paid, the room was seriously below par. We returned early one day to sample the afternoon refreshments and when we got in the building it was packed full of convention people. They were extremely loud and rude. They stayed next to the buffet and would not move. We gave up and returned to our room and we could still hear them on the third floor. It is definitely not the worth the money.

I do disagree with the writer about POR. We did not like the resort. I think if the resort was managed better, we would like it. We paid extra for a preferred room and had a good location across from the quiet pool. We entered the room and there was garbage on the floor and the TV did not work. Maintenance came and fixed the TV. That was good until we discovered that the remote was now gone. We got that returned later in the day. We had five people in the room and each day we received two bath towels, two hand towels, and two wash rags. I think we were being rationed. Each day I had to call for towels. The linens were stained and never changed for the ten day we stayed. The water from the ice machine stank. The food court had only two cash registers open, yet the hotel was full. I think that the resort was beautiful, but needed better management.

 

[Oswald4Ever]

Wow...I'd love to know the secret for paying $200/night at the Poly without military, AP, Florida, or some other secret discount!
In regards to the original post, I'd definitely pay more for the Poly, but agree GF is overpriced. AK is pretty far away if you want to get to MK or Epcot so I'm not sure that would be my 1st choice for Deluxe- I'd throw Wilderness Lodge into the mix.

Here's an article I found on Pinterest with another view entirely- she doesn't like any of them! https://luxerecess.com/disney-world-resorts/

 

[mickeysimba]

I am still waiting for the secret to get the deluxe resort discounts...

Can anyone share? Please, please, please!!!

 

[TLM2015]

Wow...I'd love to know the secret for paying $200/night at the Poly without military, AP, Florida, or some other secret discount!
In regards to the original post, I'd definitely pay more for the Poly, but agree GF is overpriced. AK is pretty far away if you want to get to MK or Epcot so I'm not sure that would be my 1st choice for Deluxe- I'd throw Wilderness Lodge into the mix.

Here's an article I found on Pinterest with another view entirely- she doesn't like any of them! https://luxerecess.com/disney-world-resorts/

That was an interesting article, it made me chuckle a little. I'm not a luxury traveler and my upcoming trip next year will be the first time staying in anything over a value (super excited!). Personally, I think that people stay at the values because they're affordable and some kids (and adults including me) love the over the top themes. I've stayed at ASM for one night and a week in AoA (Little Mermaid section). I would not recommend staying in an adjoined room at the values if you are not using the other room because it was noisy in my opinion but when I stayed at AoA, noise between rooms wasn't an issue but the outside corridor noise would be an issue depending on how noisy people outside were luckily people were quiet. I don't agree with the original article because I think that everything depends on budget and if you like the over the top-ness of the values. My DD loved AoA and I did too. She was 5 at the time so the larger than life theming worked. I've also heard debate over whether the EMH are worth it and for me they absolutely are! One of my favorite memories at the parks was a trip with my (drastically) younger sis and bro and our parents. We went to Magic Kingdom for extended night hours and were there until like 1 am. MK was not crowded at all and there's something about late night hours that is really awesome. We rode the Carousel of Progress, which we never would have stopped for during the more busy day, and we all just cracked up at how cheesy and ridiculous it was (sorry to those that like that ride) and the song got stuck in our head. I'm also a morning person so I wake up, hit the extra morning hours, and then leave the park mid day for a break and come back when the crowds thin.

 

[Deb & Bill]

The writer of the article sounds rather inexperienced in WDW vacations. She's trying to be an expert and she is nowhere near being that.

 

[Kevin355]

The writer of the article sounds rather inexperienced in WDW vacations. She's trying to be an expert and she is nowhere near being that.

Twitter and social media has made "experts" out of a lot inexperienced people. I am writing an article about great Irish wines...even though I don't really know of any!!!

 

[bookgirl]

Since I happen to like the Value resorts and I have stayed in a Motel 6 and Disney Values are not on that level, No I do not agree.

In real life I tend to avoid any of the Days Inn/Comfort Brands and I don't do Motel 6 (or Super 8 or America's Best level hotels anymore) because I find them below my comfort level and trashy and usually not well run.

Disney hotels may be overpriced across the board, but they are not trashy.

 

[MillauFr]

I am still waiting for the secret to get the deluxe resort discounts...

Can anyone share? Please, please, please!!!

Look at some of the Poly threads in the Disney Discount Codes and Rates. We are not allowed to mention the Travel Agent that sells rooms at the Poly for 50+% discounts.

 

[CRSTEPHE]

Look at some of the Poly threads in the Disney Discount Codes and Rates. We are not allowed to mention the Travel Agent that sells rooms at the Poly for 50+% discounts.

Can you PM that info to me?

 

[kiford]

I've can't say we've ever paid $600/night for GF. It's not my favourite resort (it is DH's favourite) but I like it. And I've paid $600 a night for rooms that I don't consider to be better than the GF such as in London and Barcelona. Nice rooms, nice hotels, great service but small and not better than the GF. It's so often about location as well as time of year. And that's true of rooms at WDW as well as in major cities.

It also doesn't make sense to me to recommend (or not) hotels in different ranges of price and amenities in the same article. I don't care how much you recommend a value hotel, I'm never likely to stay at one. Probably also true of moderates. But 20 years ago I wouldn't have stayed in a deluxe. It just wasn't in our price range. At least compare apples to apples.

 

[s.r.disney nut]

Just someones opinion. we like staying at OKW, First bought there in 1992. Only downfall there is the quick service, They really need to enlarge it. The bus service is great to all the parks, so being on the outskirts of Disney property is not an issue.