How the uninformed views a deluxe

[wdwrich]

Easily. The bus ride from almost any WDW resort to Epcot is much shorter than the monorail ride from BLT/CR because you have to connect. And goodness help you if the monorail has issues---which it seems to at least semi-frequently.

I get what you are saying, and I've stayed at BLT, BCV, and BWV. They are convenient for visiting the parks they are close to (as is VWL with the boat service and very quick bus to MK). But, I've also stayed at OKW and CSR, as well as several great offsite locations---Bonnet Creek, Windsor Hills, etc. The overall transportation "effort" really isn't that different from one spot to another. To be fair, for most of those trips, I've also rented a car, which smooths things out quite a bit.

Indeed, TouringPlans did a quick analysis for a "typical" WDW vacation and the transportation time required from each. The results were eye opening to say the least.
http://blog.touringplans.com/2012/0...spending-the-least-amount-of-time-in-transit/

Interesting study. One thing that it confirms- having a car is best for every resort *except* Saratoga Springs (which was the best using Disney transportation). Our experience shows this too, so we always rent a car for our WDW vacations. Bottom line is that Disney will charge ridiculous prices for the deluxe resorts because they can and because they fill enough rooms at those prices to make a good profit. Opinions of those of us on these boards will have no effect on that- but at least we can discuss/vent to our hearts' content.

 

[greeneave]

Then you know that Disney doesn't come anywhere close to that level of service. There's a reason that Disney contracted with the Four Seasons for that new property---they know they can't compete in that space.

yeah i almost booked four seasons for my may trip, but i really want my son to have a 'disney experience.' i know the poly is not gonna be the four seasons, but we don't really need that when we're in disney world.

 

[Masonmj84]

When staying deluxe, we always do split stays because, IMO, the #1 thing the deluxe resorts having going for them is location. But no deluxe is convenient to everything. So the only way I can justify the cost (in addition to applying discounts) is to split such that we are always convenient to everything (including the better on-site restaurants).

We'd probably never stay deluxe if we didn't split.

In addition, we'd never pay deluxe rack rates, particularly during peak seasons.

We'd also never stay deluxe if we rented a car. But, to us, a huge feature of a WDW vacation is not having to rent a car or deal with driving/parking (we're hooked on Magical Express, which, IMO, is one of the most brilliant marketing ploys of all time).

In the end, we often end up staying deluxe, not so much because the resorts, in and of themselves, are anywhere near worth the cost but because, when all factors are considered, they provide the best overall WDW vacation.

 

[Meldev]

Easy folks - a vacation is a vacation. Yes, I agree you should do some degree of planning for a Disney vacation, but that doesn't mean everyone realizes that. Our first family trip I had 3 weeks to pull together (all about timing, DH was in transition between positions so knowing he wouldn't be tied to work for a week I jumped at the chance to go to Disney - I knew first time through I'd need us BOTH to be mentally there!) I did what I could, knew I needed dining reservations only because a friend told me I did (so I grabbed what I could). Grasped the FP idea to the best of our ability in 2010 and just went with the flow. And we had a great time!! It wasn't until we returned and started wanting a return trip that I knew I could do more to maximize our fun. That didn't make our first trip any less magical, but it made me more aware for trip number two!
No way to know how informed this fella's travel agent (if he used one) was or wasn't.
As another poster mentioned, someone from another country may not realize all of the planning required, nor may they have the access to the internet (depending on the country) the way we freely do.
As for European breakfast, the times I've been to Europe I experienced the meats and cheeses the reviewer mentioned, not something I was used to, but did my best to enjoy what was available - different cultures do things differently, part of the traveling fun I'd say!
And I've been to Euro Disney and enjoyed my time there as well!

 

[partigus]

Larger Rooms... acknowledged. Indoor Corridors... would fall (for me) into the realm of a tacit upgrade. Easy access to a Park... in some cases yes, in some no... for instance, not so much for AKL or OKW. But I do I agree on location advantage to an extent. For instance, I would, if staying on cash, definitely choose a Boardwalk area hotel if I went deluxe. You can see in my signature I stay at OKW sometimes. This is on points from a generous family member.

When it's 95 degrees and 85% humidity, Indoor Corridors are not an upgrade, but a gift from God.

 

[IrishNYC]

For those scoffing at the reviewer's complaint about waiting in ride lines, keep in mind that staying at one of Universal Orlando's "Deluxe" hotels grants you Universal Express Unlimited. It's not as outrageous a complaint as some are making it out to be.

If this reviewer didn't know about making ADRs and about FP+, he doesn't know what Universal offers.

 

[Disfan1968]

When it's 95 degrees and 85% humidity, Indoor Corridors are not an upgrade, but a gift from God.

Sure. I agree it's an upgrade. We'll just differ on how much money it's worth.

In general, don't get me wrong, I really have enjoyed the deluxes I have stayed at and been in (my brother has points at several). My earlier point was more about the OP's post and the reviewer's expectations of what amenities "deluxe" should probably have attached to it and how the "Disney deluxe" differs from a "real world" deluxe.

 

[partigus]

Sure. I agree it's an upgrade. We'll just differ on how much money it's worth.

In general, don't get me wrong, I really have enjoyed the deluxes I have stayed at and been in (my brother has points at several). My earlier point was more about the OP's post and the reviewer's expectations of what amenities "deluxe" should probably have attached to it and how the "Disney deluxe" differs from a "real world" deluxe.

I realize that now ALL of the deluxe resorts have DVC units attached and all DVC properties are considered Deluxe, but factor in the LOCATION effect...Saratoga Springs, Key West etc are going to not be as desirable as BW, BC, or GC, BLT....Look at the points required to book a room- this confirms the attractiveness of these rooms.

For the simple point hat it takes ore points to book BLT than it does SSR, I think that the Contemp casting more that CSR is in line.

 

[firecracker725]

A few things:

1) No matter where you are in the world, reservations are usually NEEDED for a nice Christmas dinner. If you dont make reservations you cannot expect a nice christmas meal. However, you can still get really great food without a "ressie" at Mizners.
2) It sounds like he was able to get a character meal anyway. Without making an ADR I'd say thats a positive, especially during Christmas time
3) When I was in europe I adjusted my food expectations. However, I can't imagine someone walking away from California grill or V&A saying the food was bad. Taste varies greatly and Disney has a restaurant for every taste there is, you can't go to a few and say they are all bad.
4) In 2005 I didn't know a thing about Disney World. I walked up to CRT and asked if we could get a reservation. They said you usually book 6 months in advance. I was blown away, but said oh well and walked away with a smile on my face. You can't always get what you want, especially if LOTS of other people want it too.
5) The expense of deluxe resorts comes from location location location. If he/she wanted theming they should have checked out other hotels.
6) I recently did a trip, granted off season, but NEVER planned a meal or fastpass. It worked out fine. Planning isn't everything.

I'll stop here but could add much more. I think in the end its important that when you go anywhere in the world you can't expect everything to be perfect. Even at Disney. Whether you come away with magic, is mostly up to you.

Exactly. Try finding something other than a kebab in Paris on Christmas without reservations.

 

[tcherjen]

I have heard many people say they had a miserable time at DW. They also did not plan a single thing. I think the deluxes are very nice, but I like AOA suites a lot better.

 

[polineedyan]

"if you dont speak english, they dont stay very long with you." wow. I find it terribly ironic that they were able to figure out to make a character res, but no other.

 

[KateDrake]

I agree with what many of you have said regarding planning in advance and setting reasonable expectations for your trip. But I think the point the OP is trying to get across is that it is SO HARD to understand the level of planning that most of us put into a Disney trip.

Think about it this way: remember the first time you heard about ADRs? I know I didn't quite believe it. How in any stretch of the imagination could a restaurant be fully booked SIX MONTHS before I want to eat there? You may hear people say it, but it's tough to fathom. It's not until you've reached the level of obsessiveness that we here on the DIS take for granted that these things seem like second nature.

A lady in our neighborhood took her son on his Make-A-Wish (or whatever they call it up here in Canada, I'm American) trip last year, and I was so excited for her. But I felt absolutely awful when I told her there were 4 parks! She thought it was just MK, and had planned to stay there for all three of their Disney days. I tried to explain park hopping and rope drop to maximize time, etc. and she just never quite understood. They ended up going and having a great time and were able to hit each park for at least half a day. But the way she looked at me when I asked if she'd like me to help her make some dining reservations a month before the trip showed what a huge order of magnitude of difference there is in planning. I was so worried that she'd left her ADRs until the last minute, and she thought I was totally nuts for trying to make them a month before they left!

 

[Eliza32]

Sorry, but the guy who posted the review has no excuse. If he has enough money to stay at a deluxe at christmas he also has technology toaccess to all of the information available about staying at Disney. It tells you everywhere about booking meals all year round.......he sounds entitled and used to having someone 'do' things for him......maybe he chose to leave the au pair at home!!!! Surprised from his comments and attitude that he even managed to purchase park tickets!!!

 

[HiHoWeGo]

Oh boo hoo...this poor European and his Firstworldproblems. Didn't think he needed a dinner reservation for Christmas? Ok then...

A lot of elitist attitude in his review and most of his complaints are his own ignorant fault for not doing a tiny bit of research. No sympathy here.

Really? Obviously the reviewer didn't do their homework. But this kind of reaction makes me sick. Have a little compassion for other people.

 

[Magic Band Defender]

It's not just Disney that requires a lot of pre-planning. We went to NYC right after they started allowing visitors at the Statue of Liberty again. You could not just show up for that. You had to be booked/cleared/scheduled in advance, down to date/time. Just showing up at the boat dock without a ressie would not have worked. When "Wicked" was hot, you needed tickets in advance, especially if you wanted a certain date/time or good seats. Same with hot restaurants, popular tours, etc. I believe we had to make an appt. at Top of the Rock as well. I don't think you'd have a terrible time if you came to NYC with no plans, but you could also leave terribly disappointed if you had certain activities in mind. I do at least a little planning on all my vacations.