Going Deluxe - am I crazy?

[_19disnA]

This is a commonly asked question on here and there are MANY older threads that discuss this topic. It basically comes down to your: 1) budget, 2) hotel preferences and 3) how you plan to spend your time while at Disney. We have stayed at the Contemporary and as well as offsite over the years and enjoyed both for various reasons. The Contemporary was ~$500/day as I recall last year and no discounts were ever offered. If you have a specific week when you are able to travel, you may not ever find discounts. We also enjoyed our offsite stays at some very nice hotels which cost far less and then there are more reasonable prices for food and you have the flexibility with a car to come as go as you please. If you stay mostly at your resort vs. spending the majority of your time at a park will also be a factor. If you prefer a specific park, there is no one hotel closest to EVERY park, so that is also part of what you need to consider.

We never viewed staying onsite as a better overall experience, but that is the part of how personal preference needs to be taken into account.

 

[dkrauss]

Our first Deluxe resort was Wilderness Lodge. The setting is amazing and the price point is doable. I'd choose WL over Animal Kingdom Lodge only because of its location to the Magic Kingdom (access via boat). I like Animal Kingdom Lodge for many of the same reasons I like WL with the additional plus of the savanna's. A savanna view room is just a bit more in cost but we found it so worth it. Both have good pools and a variety of dining options. Again I'd give the nod to WL because of the boat to Magic Kingdom.

Doug

 

[Mainsail Minnie]

We've stayed at every deluxe resort and have enjoyed each one. We almost never pay rack rate (full price), instead getting discounts via Disney or a specialized travel agent. Given how uncertain travel is right now, renting DVC points is not a safe bet, as they're almost impossible to get refunded, and even very, very difficult to change dates. Another thing to note is that summer is one of the cheaper times of year to rent deluxe resort rooms, much cheaper than the fall/winter holiday season, and also cheaper than spring.

Which resort is "the ultimate" is dependent on three main factors:

1. Your personal taste
2. Which park(s) you will visit most
3. What time of year you will be there

Since there is no way for me to know your personal taste, I'll share the following recommendations based on our own preferences:

For summer trips, the best resort is Beach Club with its extraordinary Stormalong Bay pool complex. Yacht Club also shares the pool, but we don't happen to like the rooms there as much since its renovation. Following Beach Club, we prefer Boardwalk or the Polynesian. The Boardwalk has the most well-themed rooms in WDW, very early 1900's Boardwalk-themed with tons of detail & we like that. It's pool & water slide are also amazingly well-themed. These Epcot resorts are within walking distance of two parks and have other activities nearby. Their counter service dining options are very weak, though, so we often stay club-level at those. The Polynesian is themed after Hawaii, has views of Magic Kingdom and is on the monorail line. It's pool is based around a pretend volcano and is very nice, too. The Poly has great dining.

For Christmas season trips, the best resort is Wilderness Lodge, which is absolutely stunning at Christmas with its huge tree, and which has a cozy northwestern lodge vibe that is appropriate to the season. Copper Creek Villa studios are also located within the hotel, and are also a good choice if you're okay with a studio room layout.

For non-summer, non-Christmas trips, our favorite resort is Animal Kingdom Lodge. It is a completely unique hotel, in which you might have animals outside your balcony (even in some standard view rooms). Its lobby is gorgeous and the whole resort is very well themed. It has very good dining. This is a very peaceful resort. Fort Wilderness is also a unique, beautiful and peaceful resort, but it is not deluxe, and it is undergoing a lot of renovation work right now.

For primarily Magic Kingdom focused trips, the best resort is the Contemporary, because you can walk between there and Magic Kingdom. No Disney transportation needed. We actually prefer the quiet garden wing rooms there, which are much cheaper than the rooms in the main tower. The graceful Grand Floridian, whose monorail is only one stop before MK, and which will also have a walkway to MK in a year or two, is also a good choice. The Polynesian is overpriced & overcrowded imo, so we typically avoid it except for summer trips to enjoy its pool.

 

[Gordon Gekko]

Don’t pay $700/night; rent points you will be shocked. Happy Planning!

 

[JAMIESMITH]

Our first stay was at The Polynesian. It has a very special place in our hearts. We always visit for a meal, no matter where we are staying. We also really like Animal Kingdom Lodge, and it's often much cheaper. We had a bad experience at Boardwalk. I also wasn't crazy about Coronado, but I would try one of the Port Orleans resorts if we were to try another moderate.

 

[butterscotchcollins]

OP, when are you planning to travel? Maybe since I'm DVC and rarely pay cash $600/night seems steep when you seem to be flexible on where you'd stay. I might be out of touch with current cash rates but I'm surprised there aren't better deals given what is currently going on.

Good question - we were originally looking at September (week after Labor Day), but depending on what happens in the next couple of weeks might sneak down for a mid-late June trip And right now with the Summer deal they have going the costs look WAY more doable for us.

We've stayed at every deluxe resort and have enjoyed each one. We almost never pay rack rate (full price), instead getting discounts via Disney or a specialized travel agent. Given how uncertain travel is right now, renting DVC points is not a safe bet, as they're almost impossible to get refunded, and even very, very difficult to change dates. Another thing to note is that summer is one of the cheaper times of year to rent deluxe resort rooms, much cheaper than the fall/winter holiday season, and also cheaper than spring.

Which resort is "the ultimate" is dependent on three main factors:

1. Your personal taste
2. Which park(s) you will visit most
3. What time of year you will be there

Since there is no way for me to know your personal taste, I'll share the following recommendations based on our own preferences:

For summer trips, the best resort is Beach Club with its extraordinary Stormalong Bay pool complex. Yacht Club also shares the pool, but we don't happen to like the rooms there as much since its renovation. Following Beach Club, we prefer Boardwalk or the Polynesian. The Boardwalk has the most well-themed rooms in WDW, very early 1900's Boardwalk-themed with tons of detail & we like that. It's pool & water slide are also amazingly well-themed. These Epcot resorts are within walking distance of two parks and have other activities nearby. Their counter service dining options are very weak, though, so we often stay club-level at those. The Polynesian is themed after Hawaii, has views of Magic Kingdom and is on the monorail line. It's pool is based around a pretend volcano and is very nice, too. The Poly has great dining.

For Christmas season trips, the best resort is Wilderness Lodge, which is absolutely stunning at Christmas with its huge tree, and which has a cozy northwestern lodge vibe that is appropriate to the season. Copper Creek Villa studios are also located within the hotel, and are also a good choice if you're okay with a studio room layout.

For non-summer, non-Christmas trips, our favorite resort is Animal Kingdom Lodge. It is a completely unique hotel, in which you might have animals outside your balcony (even in some standard view rooms). Its lobby is gorgeous and the whole resort is very well themed. It has very good dining. This is a very peaceful resort. Fort Wilderness is also a unique, beautiful and peaceful resort, but it is not deluxe, and it is undergoing a lot of renovation work right now.

For primarily Magic Kingdom focused trips, the best resort is the Contemporary, because you can walk between there and Magic Kingdom. No Disney transportation needed. We actually prefer the quiet garden wing rooms there, which are much cheaper than the rooms in the main tower. The graceful Grand Floridian, whose monorail is only one stop before MK, and which will also have a walkway to MK in a year or two, is also a good choice. The Polynesian is overpriced & overcrowded imo, so we typically avoid it except for summer trips to enjoy its pool.

I love this! Super helpful, I appreciate the insight. I definitely would love to check out Stormalong Bay, but depending on whether or not the resort pools are open/to what extent I feel like that should probably not be my only consideration.

I know everyone has their "favorites" but I think proximity to parks/nicer dining options/size and comfort of room/pool area would all be factors for me on our next trip, because I definitely need to build in more leisure time (those Open to Close park days are getting to be a bit much for me.)

 

[Mainsail Minnie]

I think proximity to parks/nicer dining options/size and comfort of room/pool area would all be factors for me on our next trip, because I definitely need to build in more leisure time (those Open to Close park days are getting to be a bit much for me.)

With proximity to parks, dining options & comfort of room being the main criteria, I recommend the Contemporary. Aside from walking to Magic Kingdom, you can take the monorail to Epcot (although you will have to transfer to another train at the TTC). It has the biggest standard resort rooms at WDW. It offers good dining: Chef Mickey character buffet (best meal there is breakfast) and The Wave's low-key table service and signature dining at California Grill. And being on the monorail, you can easily get to Polynesian and Grand Floridian for their great dining options. Contemporary has a nice, simple pool with waterslide, hot tub and a view of Bay Lake. And if you choose a garden wing room, you can get all of these deluxe monorail comforts at a relatively reasonable price. The rooms in the garden wing are identical to those in the Tower (we've stayed in both).

The Grand Floridian is a great choice for similar reasons, and is prettier than the Contemporary. It's more expensive, but worth it if that's your style.

 

[kylenne]

I know everyone has their "favorites" but I think proximity to parks/nicer dining options/size and comfort of room/pool area would all be factors for me on our next trip, because I definitely need to build in more leisure time (those Open to Close park days are getting to be a bit much for me.)

You sound like you would really enjoy a Deluxe, all of that is important to me on my trips as well and it’s why I prefer them. Even when I was a kid, we were not an Open to Close family and with health and brain challenges it’s just not feasible or desirable for me as an adult. Neither myself nor my partner are made for commando touring and that’s why I put such a high value on proximity to parks. We need to be able to make a quick escape to relax at the resort if we get overstimulated or experience a sudden deficit in spoons. And we need our creature comforts while there. I really enjoy having a variety of food options at the resort, and the ability to order real room service, as one example.

 

[WDWTRAVELLER]

I love it - let those kids "earn their own money"!! I remember our son buying a pair of Oakley sunglasses when he was 13 years old...he saved diligently to buy those at DS (then DD). He is 32, a doc and STILL has those glasses - a GREAT lesson in saving for what you want!

You bet it is. I was lucky enough my parents bought me my first car ( not a good one either lol) so i could go to work and earn money to buy whatever I like. it was a tough way to learn and it paid off, you get enjoy the fruits of your labor. (Disney Disney and more Disney)

 

[nkereina]

Didn't read all the replies so apologies if I'm repeating. There's nothing at a deluxe resort that would be worth paying $600+ per night for; however, that's likely rack rate and there will likely be some form of a discount when you go which will make the cost easier to justify.

I saw mention of point rentals, which is always the cheapest, but point rentals may look different for the foreseeable future. There's rumors some brokers may be out of business after the fall out of everything virus related that has gone on with points. There will also be owners with a lot of points left they need to use by a certain date, which may make DVC availability hard to come by. So, with everything going on, proceed with caution if you decide to rent points and have a back up plan as well.

DH and I, no kids, have stayed at AKL, Poly, and Wilderness Lodge. Of these, we're not running back to AKL. Beautiful resort, loved the animals, but one of the largest benefits of staying deluxe IMO is the alternate transportation options and you do not have that at AKL. We found the commutes to be long to everywhere except AK, which we only visited once. Whenever we decide to stay deluxe again, we would do Yacht Club/Beach Club or Boardwalk - easy access to DHS and Epcot which is huge, if you have park hoppers then it gives you easy access to all the dining options in both parks too, lots of things to do around the resorts in that area. Plus, its a beautiful area if you get a room with a view of the lake. Its always so peaceful and feels very "vacation" like no matter what resort we visit in that area.

 

[WDWTRAVELLER]

Didn't read all the replies so apologies if I'm repeating. There's nothing at a deluxe resort that would be worth paying $600+ per night for; however, that's likely rack rate and there will likely be some form of a discount when you go which will make the cost easier to justify.

I saw mention of point rentals, which is always the cheapest, but point rentals may look different for the foreseeable future. There's rumors some brokers may be out of business after the fall out of everything virus related that has gone on with points. There will also be owners with a lot of points left they need to use by a certain date, which may make DVC availability hard to come by. So, with everything going, proceed with caution if you decide to rent points and have a back up plan as well.

DH and I, no kids, have stayed at AKL, Poly, and Wilderness Lodge. Of these, we're not running back to AKL. Beautiful resort, loved the animals, but one of the largest benefits of staying deluxe IMO is the alternate transportation options and you do not have that at AKL. We found the commutes to be long to everywhere except AK, which we only visited once. Whenever we decide to stay deluxe again, we would do Yacht Club/Beach Club or Boardwalk - easy access to DHS and Epcot which is huge, if you have park hoppers then it gives you easy access to all the dining options in both parks too, lots of things to do around the resorts in that area. Plus, its a beautiful area if you get a room with a view of the lake. Its always so peaceful and feels very "vacation" like no matter what resort we visit in that area.

I agree with you that AKL is a resort that if you are not going to the parks it's ok. It's nice to have the animals and a nice pool but the transportation is a long ride to all the Parks

 

[PrincessNelly]

We've stayed at all level resorts and find them all charming in their own right. We rent DVC points because we don't think any of the deluxe resorts justify $600+ price tags. We've spent $400 for a one bedroom at AKL but we generally come in around $180-$220 for a studio or $375-$400 for one bedroom. I would recommend going that route so you feel like you got your monies worth.

We love AKL but honestly we find the Epcot resorts to be the best hands down. I can't recommend them enough.

 

[HMANSION LOVER]

If you are a MK /EPCOT fan then Wilderness lodge. Easy access to both. If you are a big HS/EPCOT fan the YC/BC or Boardwalk. I personally like WL. It is away from everything and most importantly it is NOT on monorail line so it cuts down on traffic from people just wandering around like at POLY, GF or Contemporary

 

[MB1232]

We started at a Deluxe resort for a conference that I went to for work. We were hooked since that time.. from the restaurants to the pools and the rooms.. for us it is worth it! I would definitely consider it!

 

[butterscotchcollins]

Exciting update: Managed to convince DH to book a week stay at Yacht Club in September. It took many, many hours before I got him to cave and it hurt a little to see the price tag but he just asked what would make me happy and went with my decision (because he's the best ). Despite all of the current uncertainty around park visits I'm so excited! It'll be my first time staying at a Deluxe (minus that weirdly unmemorable stay at Poly as a preteen) and I feel like I have so much to look forward to - we even planned a rest day so we can enjoy the pool, the property, and take a stroll over to the Boardwalk. Thank you all for your input and encouragement! Wish me luck that my trip holds now

 

[monorailsilver]

Depending on when you go there are some great deals, like around Labor Day! Even August leading up to LD. I have never paid $600. I think when we went in 2018, I paid no more then $400/night. The BC was cheaper then the Poly so my husband finally said OK to the BC to save a little. We do have kids but I was spoiled growing up so deluxe was a given!

 

[peaceluv&mickeymouse]

I’m spoiled now and love the Poly. booked there for September. Being on the monorail line is fantastic too. I also love Riverside. I have never stayed in a value only because we wanted the water slide, bar, etc. I don’t go every year so when I go I save and then splurge. I have mostly stayed at moderate and been to Disney over 30 times in my lifetime.

 

[butterscotchcollins]

I’m spoiled now and love the Poly. booked there for September. Being on the monorail line is fantastic too. I also love Riverside. I have never stayed in a value only because we wanted the water slide, bar, etc. I don’t go every year so when I go I save and then splurge. I have mostly stayed at moderate and been to Disney over 30 times in my lifetime.

DH tried to talk me down from Deluxe to POR or POFQ which I am totally open to staying at in the future when we're doing a more parks-heavy visit, would love to hear more about those as well.

 

[Rob Troxel]

Stay on the sidelines, folks. There will be deals and I believe a price correction for the overstuffed rates they were charging before all this CV mess. Last Christmas I was quoted about 1200 bucks a night for the Grand Floridian. Not then- not now not ever!

 

[kylenne]

DH tried to talk me down from Deluxe to POR or POFQ which I am totally open to staying at in the future when we're doing a more parks-heavy visit, would love to hear more about those as well.

I stayed at POFQ for 6 days last August, and I seem to be more "meh" on it than many on the boards...don't get me wrong, it's a gorgeous little resort with wonderful theming, lovely Cast Members (I chatted for ages with the greeter there!), and I liked how compact it was. It's really not a bad resort at all! But the cons were dealbreakers to me and were not outweighed by the positives. In fairness, I don't think it's necessarily the resort's fault so much as that was my first ever Moderate stay and I did not expect the quirks inherent to Mods (rooms opening to the outside, food courts, etc) to be so offputting for me, even though I went in with an open mind and tried to judge by its own merits. But there were a lot of little things that I didn't like and that made me miss Deluxes. People love to talk up the fact that POFQ only has one bus stop for instance, but neglect to mention that advantage is negated whenever it has to share with Riverside, which on my stay was virtually every time I wanted to go back to a park, I like my midday breaks too much. POFQ does drop off first from the parks but the very act of sharing with such a huge resort in POR means buses are more crowded. It is fairly centrally located but having to run the POR loop every time before getting "on the road" really negated the time savings of that.

Also depending on the time of year you go, the boat to Disney Springs is iffy and can't be relied on, since it shuts down during thunderstorms. I got to ride it all of twice and ended up having to find other ways to get there and back. In general I found transportation to be exceedingly inconvenient at POFQ and relied much more on Lyft than I have on Deluxe stays.

By contrast, I went back for a solo weekend trip in November and stayed at BC and it was night and day. tbh I envy the folks who can stay at any level and be happy. I wish I was like that too, but I had to accept I'm a Deluxe gal through and through lol.