Would you stay at value or moderate just to try it out, even if you could afford deluxe?

[mi*vida*loca]

The bus stops at the parks going to the values are enough for me not to want to try a value. Our first trip to WDW the line for POP had about 100 screaming chanting cheerleaders waiting. They chanted waiting for the bus, then as they got on the bus and you could still hear them as they drove off. My XH and I looked at each other and vowed we would never stay value just for that reason. Then we realized they don't have pool slides so that was another deal breaker.

My son stayed at all star for his senior trip back in March. He thoroughly enjoyed it and said he would have no problem staying there again. But I'm pretty sure he pays no attention to the amenities and all that. He did make a comment about having to bus everywhere so he did realize the location issue.

 

[FutureDisneyEventPlanner]

Sometimes it’s not about can I afford it but should I be spending this money in this way. Yes, I could have stayed deluxe and had big car payments for a long time. Or I could stay value and now the car is paid for and I can spend more on travel again.

Ah yes you hit the nail on the head! I realize lots of people can afford to stay deluxe, and I probably will be able to as I grow older too. But it just seems reckless to me whenever I think about it! I plan to stay at every resort once, but after I do that, I'll probably return back to values, as I can save money and still have a great experience.

 

[GraceMonica]

I would stay moderate but not value. The mod I'd be more inclined to stay at is POFQ due to its size. Also, CSR tower is now on my list.

Other than that I happily spend my money on the deluxe resorts. My upcoming trip I chose YC due to the location. It's a quick weekend trip for me, so the less time I have to be on a bus, the better!

 

[QueenElinor]

No. I often stay at value-priced hotels in the Marriott chain (of which I'm a member) when I'm a on a road trip, so it's not like I have something against budget accommodations per se. But, as a destination resort, I would choose the best I could afford. After all, I'm going to be spending more time in the room. I really like the way the Deluxes are visually more elegant and usually more low-key, and I like all the amenities. They're also more quiet, in general. Especially the YC and BWI which are my favorites.

I seriously would rather stay home than not stay in a deluxe. Or, more likely, go somewhere else. There is a whole wonderful world out there to explore that costs the same or less than Disney.

 

[Shelleyfs]

We have stayed at Pop a couple of times if we are getting in really late and just need a place to sleep for a few hours. I wouldn't do a whole vacation moderate or value. That sounds a bit snobbish, but it really isn't. My husband is not a Disney vacation fan. He really hates it, but agrees to go each year because the rest of us love it. I try and put him up in a place that he will love that he has lots to do if he doesn't want to go to the park. He can go to the pool, go have a nice drink, grab some food, etc.

Also my daughter may or may not be in a wheel chair when we go to Disney. It all depends on her health at the time. I find moderates and values way too small for a chair or walker. It is just too hard to move around. The deluxes also have better ways to get to the parks sometimes instead of just a bus. Nothing worse than standing there waiting for the bus with your healthy looking teen daughter in a wheel chair and you are getting the old side eye from some woman because she is sure you are pulling a fast one and that kid is just too lazy to walk. Been there, done that, it sucks. We just take a minnie van now instead of buses. It's just not worth the anxiousness for me and I just make sure we budget $200 or so for the service.

 

[3DisneyBuggs]

I stayed one night in Pop Century and would stay again for one night. I stayed at POFQ and would stay there again if needed to cost wise. But I will always choose a deluxe when able to. I love being close to the MK so I choose monorail resorts. Do what makes you happy.

 

[CGB]

Since 2004, we have stayed at different deluxes (club levels) and seriously enjoyed the luxury and attention. After being forced to reschedule a Poly club level trip due to last-minute health issues, we ended up with two rooms at Pop (our first time at a value.) We found it a better fit for our family of four; more beds plus two bathrooms. We actually found the food court better than the deluxes’ quick service. (Admittingly, we still went for Tonga toast at Captain Cooks!) Since that first trip, the family has voted to stay with two rooms at a value. Pop is our favorite and I’m looking forward to the skyline transport next time we go. I’m sure we’ll go back to a deluxe at some point, but right now the campy fun at the values has our hearts.

 

[theotherlostprincess]

We stay at value because I prefer to spend the extra hundreds on merchandise rather than a hotel room in only there to sleep and shower in. Now if I was only doing the park for one day and was spending most time in the hotel I’d def do deluxe because of the atmosphere but for a bed in sleeping in for a few hours, they are all the same to me

 

[Euby]

I'm one of those people who want to stay in each of the resorts at some point. To answer your question, if I can afford it, it would be Moderate at a minimum. My only stay at a Value was AoA in a Finding Nemo suite, which I'm pretty sure doesn't qualify as Value. I might stay in a Value in the future and parlay the savings into a backstage tour or other special event or experience.

 

[Funfire240]

we stay at POP. I've never stayed deluxe but have stayed at CBR and POFQ. While they were nice the kids thought they were boring and to them going to WDW is about fun and they love the oversize Disney decorations at the Values. With the New POP rooms I have been even more happier there. Our trips are for them so this is what we choose to do. Also boils down to 10 day trips once a year at value or shorten the stay for deluxe/change to every other year. We also do various other trips throughout the year to different places as well so we go with POP and make the most out of our stays. I haven't had any complaints yet.

 

[Ralphmiller007]

My first Disney trip was an offsite budget hotel trip with my grandparents, and I loved it. As I got older we had several dance competition trips with stays at All Star Sports and Coronado Springs. I remember being so impressed with how nice our room was at Coronado Springs, and thought it was one of the best vacations ever. The first time I took my husband, I booked AKL Club level in an attempt to lure my animal-loving husband into the Disney magic, and now we own DVC at AKL. I think it definitely has everything to do with your touring style and expectations. When I was younger, I loved park heavy trips and the values/mods were amazing. Now we have mostly resort days with some evening park time, so the deluxe resorts fit our needs. I'm not above staying value/mod, I just prefer the amenities and locations of several of the deluxes more. As long as we have the points to stay in the villas, we'll stick with them! Quick cash trips I would definitely stay at CS again.

 

[Viking7641]

If I could afford Poly (which my dream resort) I'd still try Coronado Springs because I am in love with the southwest theme

 

[gorkt]

Maybe I am just low class (lol) but I actually prefer moderates and values over most deluxes. In fact, my favorite WDW vacation was at a value resort (AOA).

A) I like having a larger food court with more options.
B) I like a more laid back and less formal atmosphere.
C) Paying that much for a room seems wasteful to me and detracts from the enjoyment.
D) I don't spend enough time in the room to make it worth it.
E) The fun of Disney (for me) is trying out the ambiance of all the different resorts.

Renting DVC is a good way to get deluxe accommodations at a moderate price. Or at least it used to be, but this year it was more expensive.

 

[Viking7641]

Maybe I am just low class (lol) but I actually prefer moderates and values over most deluxes. In fact, my favorite WDW vacation was at a value resort (AOA).

A) I like having a larger food court with more options.
B) I like a more laid back and less formal atmosphere.
C) Paying that much for a room seems wasteful to me and detracts from the enjoyment.
D) I don't spend enough time in the room to make it worth it.
E) The fun of Disney (for me) is trying out the ambiance of all the different resorts.

Renting DVC is a good way to get deluxe accommodations at a moderate price. Or at least it used to be, but this year it was more expensive.

I feel the same as you largely.

AoA or All Star Movies, and to a lesser extent POP feels "Disney" to me, when I am in WDW I want Mickey, Donald, Pixar etc. It's fun, light, and childlike, which is the reason I go to Disney, to disconnect and unwind.

If i want Africa, I'll take a trip to Tanzania or South Africa. Same with other resorts, while fun to look at, eat/drink at, I like being immersed in the fun stuff while I am there.

 

[cheryllarsen]

my parents did....now they stay deluxe.

 

[Minnesota!]

I can afford deluxe but my wife and I stay at All Star Music every year. (11 more days and we are back). I work hard for my money and I see no reason to spend hundreds of dollars more per night for a bed which is all that a room is to me. I have found the All Stars to be clean and fun. After a full day at the parks I usually return, shower and fall face first, snoring on the way down, into my pillow. The room serves its' purspose for a lot less than the deluxe room so I am satisfied. Again, this is my personal feeling and I have no problems with anyone spending their money in what ever fasion they choose. I choose to spend my money at AS Music every year.

Yep! We can afford it, but since we are only in the room to sleep and shower - there is no way I would want to spend $200+/day to do just that.

 

[kiford]

Nope. We stayed at CBR years ago and enjoyed it but we have spent the last 20 or more years staying at higher end resorts in WDW and other places so I have no interest in the moderates and definitely none in the values. We have been planning to try all of the deluxe resorts over the next year or so where we haven't stayed before but ended up even striking the Poly off our list. We've walked through the resort and the buildings a few times over the last two visits and we just don't feel that it lives up to the hype or our expectations of a deluxe - poorly laid out, small pools, low ceilings, narrow hallways and dark in the outer buildings, and overly busy in the ceremonial lodge. So I definitely can't see us staying at a moderate with outside access to rooms, lack of TS restaurants, smaller pools, very busy, etc. We do, however, enjoy wandering through all other resorts and seeing the theming and details even if we have no intention of staying at them and we do take back pictures and recommendations to friends and family with younger children who we feel might get more enjoyment out of them.

 

[PSUGuy]

We were quite happy the first 2 trips, 1999 & 2000, to stay at AS Music but the next year we started down an expensive path. In 2001 we had AS Music booked again but on this site we read about codes for room discounts and discovered that while the Values were going for around $114 per night, with a code we could get POR for $89. Eventually the codes went away but we were hooked on nicer digs. In 2002 I took advantage of a Swan discount available to educators, nurses and certain government employees. Once there we fell in love with the Epcot area which led to renting DVC points for a Board Walk stay starting in 2006. We never looked back. The themeing, the ability to walk to DHS and Epcot to say nothing of the entertainment on the boards, we're hooked. We get a BW Garden View for what a Mod is going for, maybe a little less and we switched from early March to Oct/Nov for F&W.

We're not snobs, in 2014 we booked a last minute trip and all we could get was good old AS Music and we didn't feel deprived. I forget the circumstances but we also stayed at Pop Cent and enjoyed there also. The two oldest daughters, 20 months apart, were in the process of moving on in the early aughts so we just applied the $$ we used to house them and help them through college to pamper ourselves a bit. I get the attitude that a good room is really enough but sitting on our balcony overlooking the BW courtyard or having a spicy Bloody Mary on the Belle Vue Lounge porch is worth what we pay for it.

Bill From PA

 

[ErinsMommy]

i just couldn't stay in a value, the smaller room/beds, lack of dining options, bus only transportation. maybe a moderate but that'll depend on which resort and amenities.

 

[Artax]

We have only stayed deluxe once (WL) the rest have all be value or mod. We prefer mod but also like value. I may be a bit strange but when I am on vacation in florida, I love walking out of my room and being outside in the heat, it just makes me feel like I am on vacation. Especially going to love this next week as this midwest winter has been awful. I also don't like the long indoor corridor feeling. Another thing I didn't like about deluxe was the quick service options, I guess I just like access to the food courts for more options. I also prefer to drive to the parks (except MK) and I like to get off disney property once in a while so I like to be close to where I park my car. At mods I can walk out of my room and be in my car in minutes. The parking lots at the deluxes seem to be miles from the rooms. I hated the walk to the car at wilderness lodge. I don't rule out staying deluxe again, we have talked about renting DVC and trying out some different resorts. But my preferences and cost always seem to push us away from deluxe.